A Heart is not Black
by Dear4Life
Summary: Misaki-Li/BK201 interacting and how the relationship between the two develops. Ch.3-Misaki's lifes in danger, but who will save her from the Reaper. Ch.7-Masked trouble at a Matsuri Ch.11-What happens to them after the Tokyo Explosion.
1. Blue eyes and Lousy Jobs

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

--

A/N:

There are just not enough DTB Fan fictions out there, so I thought I'd try and write out what was in my head. This is the first story I've ever written, and is mainly focused on Misaki and Li because there was just not enough interaction between the two in the anime. There are other characters involved, like Saitou and November 11 in later chapters.

If you are new to Darker than Black, this story may contain spoilers after episode 9.

A big thank you goes out to Sakabatou77, because although this was my idea, he had a big part in cleaning it up for me, so this is his story too. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Darker than Black anime. All rights belong to Bones, Tensai Okamura, and Funimation.

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Chapter One: Blue Eyes and Lousy Jobs

Hei lay calmly on the circular bench surrounding a tree on a warm sunny morning, with his arms crossed behind his head, waiting for Huang to come brief him about their mission. Yin sat next to him petting Mao who laid on her lap calmly wagging his tail. Hei was starting to get upset that Huang had called a meeting so early in the morning, demanding for them to be on time, but he himself was running late.

"He's here," spoke up Yin.

Hei showed a sign of relief, as Haung approached the three of them while puffing on a cigarette. He stopped in front of Hei looking displeased.

"What happened, Hei?" Huang said screaming. "Your job was to keep an eye on it."

"What?" Hei asked confused, as he sat up. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me; you know it was stolen last night." Huang said still shouting, as he stumped his right foot on the ground and threw his cigarette down. "Now the Syndicate is so upset with us that…"

"Why are they upset with me," Hei responded irritated. He was already upset that they had sent him, the Black Reaper, to baby-sit a trivial thing, and now he was getting blamed for something that wasn't his fault. "Don't they know I wasn't even on the night shift? Wasn't it Red's watch?"

"They think he may have stolen it."

"So do they want me to take him out?"

"No, they want you to watch him and call me when he makes a move. Use this."

Huang threw him a cell phone. Hei snatched it in the air and looked down at it.

"They trust me using a phone again after frying the other ones I had?" asked Hei.

"No, the Syndicate wants you to use it just for this mission. When Red splits the restaurant, call the number that's on the speed dial and tell LR-924 the news so he can retrieve the item."

"LR-924?" questioned Mao. "Are they serious?"

"Yes, they are."

"You don't need him. I'll take care of it."

"No, you won't, especially with the Foreign Affairs snooping around!"

"The Foreign Affairs? Why would they deal with a petty thing like a robbery?" asked Mao.

"How should I know? Now get to work!"

Huang trotted off, as he pulled out another cigarette and complained about Contractors. Hei stood from the bench and started to walk off to get to his so-called part-time job.

"Hei," spoke up Mao, causing Hei to look over his shoulder at him. "If Red did steal the item, he probably called the police for a distraction so you wouldn't be able to interfere with his plans. The Syndicate is probably thinking the same thing. They are having the Foreign Affairs do the investigation so the public won't get wing of our existence, and probably to see what clues we're gathering concerning the stolen item." Mao looked up at Yin. "Yin, keep an eye on things for Hei, okay?"

"Hai," nodded Yin.

--

Misaki sat at her desk staring off into space while sipping a cup of tea. Images of BK-201 fighting VI-952 before her flashed through her mind. He was right in front of her, wearing his long black coat with his white mask, and all she had to do was pull the trigger. Why did she hesitate? Was it because he saved her, or was it something else? It must have been luck since there was no way a Contractor would contemplate on saving a life, especially the fearsome Black Reaper.

"Kirihara, what are you sleeping?" yelled captain Horai.

Misaki jumped and knocked over her tea, staining her paperwork. She looked over at her boss's office to see he was standing in the doorway glaring at her furiously.

"Sir?" she surprisingly babbled.

"This is the third time I've tried calling you," he lectured her, but then his expression softened. "Please, come in here!"

Misaki blinked at him dumbfounded.

_What now,_ she thought.

She shrugged it off, picked up a napkin, and tabbed at the mess to soak it up.

He had already yelled at her incompetence concerning BK-201's escape at the Wang Shaotang's Hotel. He didn't believe that he had disappeared out the window from the top floor, saying that it was impossible, and guessed she had used it as an excuse so she wouldn't have to jump out after him.

"Kirihara, for the last time, hurry up!" he yelled again, while the rest of the office just stopped what they were doing to stare at him.

"Coming, sir!" She threw the soaked napkin in the trash and walked over to his office. "What is it, sir?"

"A robbery was just reported earlier from a restaurant in the Shinjuku area. One of the employees called it in."

"A robbery, sir?" questioned Misaki "Shouldn't that be left to the local police?"

"Don't question my judgment of a case, Kirihara. Here's the address, now get on it."

Horai held out the paper in which Misaki took it and started to leave.

"Oh, and Kirihara," blabbered Horai, his eyes narrowed at her. "I hope you'll be able to handle this one. Once you find out who's behind it, don't let him or her_ disappear_ this time."

"I'll do my best, sir," replied Misaki, and then turned on her heels.

As she exited the office, she could hear her commander pick up his phone, dial a number, and said into it, "It's me…."

Irritated by his comment, Misaki frowned and left his office slamming the door, causing everyone in the room to drop what they were working on again and look in her direction. Misaki looked over at Saitou to see he was staring at her with half of a bean bun sticking out from his mouth.

"Saitou, let's go!" she called out.

Saitou snatched up the rest of the bean bun from his desk while grabbing his coat, and walked over to meet Misaki at the elevator.

"Where are we going, Chief?" he asked.

"Shinjuku," she informed. "My car is in the shop, we'll have to take yours."

"Ah, about that chief, mine wouldn't start this morning. I had to take the bus in."

Misaki sighed and then said, "We'll just have to take the JR Line then."

"JR in Shinjuku?" Saitou's eyelids slanted. "Chief, it gets too crowded. Let's take the bus."

"No, the JR will be faster."

--

The train was packed like Saitou had sad. Misaki and Saitou were standing inside with people cluttered up against each other to where a fly couldn't even hover between them.

Misaki was standing next to an odorous man in his late forties. She tried to hold her hand over her nose from the foul stench, but couldn't maneuver her arm up due to the airtight space.

The train arrived at Harajuku station, as Misaki was relieved when the man exited the train, but a short man in his twenties, who reeked of cigarettes, stepped on, and was shoved up against her. She took a deep breath, hoping to hold her breath until her stop.

"_The next stop is, Shinjuku." _Misaki heard over the PA_._

"Saitou, this is our stop coming up," Misaki yelled back over her shoulder, losing some of her air.

"Al right", he replied.

The two detectives tried to work their way to the door, but they were unsuccessful. Misaki hoped that all these people would be getting off at this stop_. _

The train came to a halt, and as the doors opened, half of the people departed the train, which made it easier for them to reach the exit.

As Misaki stepped from the train, she let out a huge gasp of air, while holding her hands on her knees. She frowned from a terrible aroma and took a whiff of her clothes.

"Are you alright, Chief?" Saitou asked concerned.

"Damn, now my clothes smell like cigarettes."

"See, I told you we should have taking the bus."

Misaki just glared up at him with a hint of anger in her eyes. "Let's go!"

They walked two and a half kilometers away from Shinjuku station, and down the crowded streets of Kabukicho. They passed by many restaurants, bars, pachinko parlors, and a wide variety of red light establishments before they arrived at their destination.

Misaki walked in the door to the smell of greasy food.

_Oh, this is __just great, I haven't eaten anything yet, and I have to work with this delicious smell messing with my hunger! _She thought to herself. _I am going to have a tough time doing my job now._

It was a small, clean restaurant, with a bar to the right and a total of ten tables. There were only three tables occupied and two people at the bar, with a few staff managing all of them.

"Table for two?" A young waitress with long black hair and red highlights asked.

Misaki wanted to say yes, but she instead held up her badge and said, "We are here to see the owner or manager, please."

"Oh, sure. Right this way, detectives. The owner is waiting for you two."

She took them through the tiny restaurant and down a small thin hallway. They stopped at the last door, and waited as the waitress knocked on it.

"Who's there?" a voice replied timorously.

"Boss, some detectives are here to see you."

"Oh, really. Please, let them in."

The waitress opened the door and ushered Misaki and Saitou in. A middle-aged short man with black hair that was parted to the right to cover a bald spot stood from behind a wooden desk.

"I didn't think they were going to send anyone," he said while taking off his glasses to wipe them with his shirt.

"What happened here, mister?" asked Misaki, feeling ridicules of doing the local police's job.

The short man refitted his glasses on his nose and looked back at the detectives saying, "My safe was broken into."

"Where is the safe?" asked Saitou while looking around.

"It's over here."

He walked over to a ludicrous portrait of himself that said at the bottom, "Store Owner," and pulled it off the wall as Saitou made a small cough-like laugh. Misaki's eyes glanced sideways at him as she frowned, and stepped on his right foot, causing Saitou to scream out in pain and hop on his left foot.

The owner looked back at them, noticing Saitou's little dance, and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Haaiii!!" he wined. "Please don't worry about me."

The owner shrugged his shoulders, and then turned his attention to his portrait to remove it and reveal a small safe. Misaki peered at it and noticed the dial had been cut clean from it in a circular pattern with no burn marks from a cutting torch, nor were there any edge marks indicating the thief might have used a saw.

"What could have caused this?" asked Misaki, interested in the case and then thought to herself, _a Contractor_?

"I don't know, detective. That's why you are here," he replied sarcastically, as he opened the safe.

Misaki looked in it to see it was still full of money and papers stacked neatly. She turned her head to face the owner and asked confused, "What exactly did they take?"

"That's none of your business. I just need you to find out who broke into it. You're welcome to look around for clues." He gestured while he snatched up a briefcase. The owner grabbed his hat and coat off the rack and threw them on, as he looked back at the detectives. "I'll be leaving, so please ask the manager for anything if you need help."

He turned on his heels and walked out the door.

"Man, how does he expect us to help if he won't let us know what was taking?" Misaki sighed to Saitou irritated. _Especially on an empty stomach! _She thought to herself.

"What do you think might have happened here, Chief?" asked Saitou.

"What do I think? Saitou, you should have already figured out this whole thing screams out Contractor."

"Contractor?" muttered Saitou surprised.

Misaki sighed at him. He was a loyal officer, but he was so dense sometimes she wondered how he had become a detective in the Foreign Affairs. She pushed that thought aside and pulled out her phone to dial a number.

"_Moshi, Moshi_?" a voice replied on the other end.

"Kanami, its Kirihara. Can you tell me if there was any Contractor activity in the Shinjuku area last night?"

"_In Shinjuku? Hold on_." Misaki could hear typing in the background as she waited. "_Yes, messier code LM-105. He's a Contractor that works for MI-6, code name October_."

"MI-6? Arigatou, Kanami."

"_Wait a second, Misaki. I have something else here. I don't know if this is related, but BK-201 was active yesterday morning too in that area_."

"BK-201?"

"_Hai, but just for a few seconds._"

Misaki stood in silence thinking.

"_Misaki, you still there?_" Kanami's voice asked from the phone.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Kanami."

"_You're welcome_."

A click sounded in Misaki's ear to let her know Ishizaki had hung up.

"BK-201 and MI-6. What's going on?" Misaki asked softly to herself. "Maybe November Eleven knows something."

Misaki and Saitou roamed around for another fifteen minutes and found nothing suspicious, and blamed her lack of progress due to hunger.

"Let's get out of here, Saitou," Misaki said.

"Hai," agreed Saitou.

They walked down through the thin hallway back to the restaurant. As they got to the end, Misaki accidentally bumped into one of the staff members walking by in a light blue button down collar shirt, black pants, and black apron, knocking him down and making him drop and break a stack of dishes he was carrying, as Misaki landed on her bum. The restaurant went quiet as the few people and workers looked to see what had caused the racket.

Misaki looked over at the waiter and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you…?" Her eyes widened while her mouth dropped open, as she recognized the person before her.

"I'm fine," he replied while looking up at her. "Although my…" He stared at her flabbergasted.

"Ki—Kirihara-san?" he replied puzzled.

"Li… kun?" muttered Misaki surprised.

**Darker than Black**

"Li-kun?" spoke up Saitou surprised.

Li glanced over at him and said confused, "Saitou-san? What are you two doing here?"

"We're investigating a robbery.

"Really," replied Li, as he stood and helped Misaki up.

She stared into his eyes, losing her composure before him, and fought to ask, "Wha—what are you doing here?"

"I work here," Li answered.

"Are you a waiter again?"

"No, I'm a bus boy."

"A bus boy this time, Li?" questioned Saitou.

Misaki's eyes closed while she blushed and giggled to say, "You pick some lousy jobs. Maybe you should look into police work since you're quick on your feet."

Li chuckled and scratched the back of his head. A loud growling noise suddenly rumbled from his stomach, which made him frown. Misaki stared at him lost for words and then burst into laughter.

"I guess we're both hungry," she said.

He blushed and started to chuckle.

"Hai, I got into trouble earlier for breaking some dishes, so my boss wouldn't let me go to lunch," informed Li. "I still have four hours before I'm off."

Misaki continued to laugh, but stopped as her stomach let out a loud growl too. They both looked at each other for a few seconds, but then burst out into laughter again.

"Maybe I should get something to eat," giggled Misaki.

"Now that you said it, Chief, I'm hungry too," spoke up Saitou. "Is the food here any good, Li?"

"No, but there is a good ramen restaurant a few blocks down. I was planning on going…"

"You again!!" yelled a tall thin man in his thirties, cutting off Li. "Clean this up right away! Well, hurry up! Go get a broom and dust pan! Move it, move it!"

Li smiled back at Misaki and whispered, "Sorry, I have to get back to work."

He walked off into the back and disappeared around the corner.

"Sorry about that, Miss," the manager apologized, as he guided Misaki and Saitou away from the mess. "That kid is always goofing off. Are you two hurt at all?"

"No, we're fine," replied Misaki.

"I'll make sure he is reprimanded for this."

"But I was the one who…."

"You can have a free meal on us. Here's a gift card."

The manager handed Misaki the card in which it made Saitou's eyes sparkled with delight.

"Ah, domo," muttered Misaki, not wanting to give this man her service for the way he was treating Li.

Li returned with a broom and dust pan and started cleaning up the mess. The manager walked over to him and began screaming at Li for his incompetence. Li just smiled and nodded while sweeping up the mess she had caused. Misaki felt a guilty conscious surface in the pit of her stomach and made a note to repay him back.

"Come on, Saitou," she said. "Let's get something to eat."

Misaki gestured Saitou to follow her out of the restaurant, confusing him of why she had left, and followed her down the streets until they reached a ramen restaurant. They sat down to a delicious smell, which caused Misaki's stomach to growl again.

"Why did you decide to eat here when we could have had a free meal, Chief?" Saitou asked.

"I wanted to try this place after Li had mentioned it, and it smells so good."

"Hai, I agree, Chief."

A young girl with black hair pulled back into two braids approached them. "May I take your order?"

"Two bowls of ramen noodles please," replied Saitou.

"I'll take one," said Misaki.

The young girl nodded and headed to the back room where a huge man was cooking the meals. She gave the order to him, and then took an order of five bowls to a couple and their kids across the room.

--

The middle aged bald owner sprinted down the streets with his briefcase still in hand, looking behind him every few seconds while bumping into people and irritating them. He turned down an alleyway, and came to a frightening halt, as he stared at a man with black medium lenth hair in a blue suit with orange stripes before him.

"L…R…9…2…4?" He said stuttering.

"Hello, Red," the man said while smiling. "You're not planning on running away, are you?"

"No, I'm j… just on my way ho… home"

"Really." He chuckled. "You lost the stone and reported it to the police. The Syndicate is not happy about that. If I were you I would start running."

"But, it's not my fault! A Contractor came in, knocked me out, and stole it. Check the Stars. I'm innocent."

"You don't take me for an idiot do you?" The Contractor said, as he snatched his briefcase, opened it, and flung it in the air as stacks of money came pouring out of it. "Who did you sell the information to that we were hiding it in the restaurant's safe?"

"I can't say, or they'll kill me."

"You'll die right here anyways. You might as well tell me so you can live a little longer." LR-924 smiled while pulling out a playing card from his right pocket.

"Okay," he muttered in English, and then said in his native tongue, "it was MI-6. I'm supposed to meet up with them in front of the McDoness Burger nearby in a half an hour for the rest of my payment. You can get it back there after I get paid. I'll even split the money with you."

"Good boy, Red. Now you can pay for your incompetence." He lifted his right hand up, as his eyes glowed red and his body outlined in blue. "Die!"

"What?"

The restaurant owner turned and started to run back the other way, but stopped and stared into space, as he fell forward dead on the ground with the Ace of Hearts card sticking out of his back. The Contractor then grabbed Red's hat and coat and headed towards the rendezvous point.

--

Misaki sat back in her seat, crossing her arms while closing her eyes, and thought about what might have been stolen from the safe. She had no doubt that a Contractor was behind it, and knew MI-6 was involved. But why, and was this somehow related to BK-201? Did the safe hold something that might be connected to Contractors, or was it some bogus thing that did nothing? For all Misaki knew it could have been a collector's baseball card.

"You all right there, Chief?" asked Saitou.

"Ah, I'm fine, Saitou," replied Misaki, as she opened her eyes and told him what was on her mind.

"It could be a clue to where BK-201 is hiding?"

"I don't think a Contractor like BK201 would leave such information behind in a safe. He's too cunning for that."

--

Hei had finished cleaning up the mess he had caused and was about to dump it in the trash when suddenly he sneezed, causing him to fling the dust pan and scatter all the broken dishes along the floor.

"LI SHENGSHUN!!" shouted his Manager. "WHY DID I EVEN HIRE YOU TO BEGIN WITH??"

Hei embarrassedly smiled and cleaned up the mess he caused a second time. Today was not his lucky day.

--

After waiting only five minutes for their food, the young girl returned to their table with two bowls of ramen. Misaki took a hold of her chopsticks and began eating her lunch.

"Delicious!" she praised.

Misaki ended up ordering two more bowls and had them devoured in less then fifteen minutes.

"So delicious," she commented. "No wonder why Li-kun comes here."

"Hai," Saitou agreed.

"Oi, waitress," Misaki called out, "may I get another bowl, please?"

The young girl stopped in shock and dropped a couple of bowls on the floor. "Are you related to a man named Li at all?" she questioned.

Misaki blushed at the mention of being related to Li, and waved her hands in front of her saying, "No, no, but I do know him. He told us about this place, and well, we…."

"Rika!" yelled the huge man. "What are you doing, those bowls aren't cheep. Get the broom and clean that mess up right now!"

"Hai, Father," said the girl named Rika.

She hurried into the back and returned moments later with a broom and pan in her hands to clean up the mess, making Misaki feel like she was experiencing déjà vu.

"I think it's time to go," Saitou commented. "Let's get back to the station."

"But, I just ordered another bowl."

"Waitress, could we just get the check, please?" Saitou asked Rika before she could dispose of her mess.

"Hai, I'll be right back."

Misaki just sat and sighed. "Well, I guess I can save it for later."

About ten minutes later Misaki and Saitou walked out of the ramen restaurant.

"Which way is back to the Station?" Saitou asked while carrying Misaki's fourth order of noodles.

"This way, baka," she sighed while starting to walk back to Shinjuku Station.

--

_To be continued in next Chapter._

_A.N: I hope you liked it. Please let me know of any corrections, especially the Japanese spellings, and I well correct them. __I've included a little Japanese dialog to help set the mood because the story does take place in Japan._

_Thank you for reading. :)_

--

Japanese Translations:

Nani – What

Domo – Thanks

Arigatou - Thank you

_Moshi, Moshi – Hello_

Otosan - Father

Baka – Idiot


	2. Rain check

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

All rights to Darker than Black belong to Bones,Tensai Okamura, and Funimation.

--

Chapter Two: Rain Check

The tall buildings and clouds eclipsed the midday sun to give the city a somber feeling, as Misaki and Saitou headed towards the station with the ramen restaurant a block behind them. The streets had a few mopeds, bikes, and cars roaming around the somewhat occupied sidewalks, making it feel like she was in some sort of ghost town incomprehension to the other part of town they were in earlier. They passed a giggling couple holding each other's hands, as Misaki imagined that she and Li were them.

_Na… na…nani, why did I just think that? _Misaki thought to herself averting her eyes away from the couple.

Misaki and Saitou walked a few more blocks when they heard a man screaming in terror.

As if instinct kicked in, Misaki and Saitou rushed towards the noise with Misaki sprinting ahead of Saitou. She just passed by a McDoness as she caught a glimpse of two men, at the corner of her left eye halfway down an alley, which caused her to make a sharp turn into the tight long and shaded alleyway.

She saw one of the men with black medium length hair in a blue suit with orange stripes, pressing another man up against a brick wall while holding his arms up with his left hand, and pinning what appeared to be a playing card under the other man's throat. The other man had short blond hair dressed in blue jeans and a black leather jacket. His teeth were clenched tightly to where they were about to crack, as he stared down frightfully at his predator.

"Where is it?" The man in the blue suit demanded. "Give it back to us."

"You'll have to kill me, I won't tell you," the blond-haired man replied.

Saitou came barreling around the corner and plowed into a pile of trash, causing him to fall and fling Misaki's lunch into the air, and then smack his head against the concrete. She turned towards him as her food splattered by her feet.

Misaki winced at the sight of her smut-infested food and blurted out, "My Food!"

The commotion caused both men to look in their direction, making Misaki swear to herself and return her attention to them. The blue suit man's eyes turned red, as his body out lined in a bright blue light.

"A Contractor!" said Misaki, as she reached into her purse and pulled out her gun.

Just as the Contractor was about to throw the card at Misaki, the blond-haired man struggled and released himself and ran in the opposite direction.

The blue suit man cursed, as he turned towards his mark and threw the card at him instead. The blond-haired man saw it soaring at him and effortlessly dodged right to avoid it. The suit man then took out a hand full of cards and rapidly threw them at his opponent in different directions, but the man had no difficulty evading them as well.

As the blonde-haired man disappeared around the corner, the man in blue turned towards Misaki with an angry blank stare and said, "You'll pay for that!"

His eyes turned red while his body outlined in blue again, as he reached into his pocket and threw another card at Misaki.

Before she knew it, an arm wrapped around her waist, and pulled her to the ground, making her drop her gun as a cold blast of wind passed over her head. She looked back up at the man in blue whose eyes looked more terrifying then before.

"Nani… what are…?" mumbled the blue suit man.

Misaki took the opportunity to scramble for her gun, kneeled before the Contractor while taking aim, and shouted, "Freeze, police!"

The suited man just stood silent looking at the man who had saved her. After a few seconds, a smirk formed on his face.

"The Syndicate will not be happy about this," stated the suited man. "You better watch your back."

Misaki stood still puzzled. The suited man then pulled out another card and tossed it in the air to release a bright light, causing Misaki and the person behind her to cover their eyes. When their eyes refocused, they noticed the suited man was gone, making Misaki wonder why the Contractor had run off like that since Contractors are not known for leaving any witnesses.

"Thanks, Saitou," Misaki began while she turned around to gaze up at her savoir. She froze in shock at the person who was standing before her. "Li-kun? W… Wh… What are you doing here?"

"I was walking by, and I saw… then those men. And then he threw… and then…" Li responded, stumbling on his words.

"Hold on one second, not so fast. You're not making any sense, Li-kun."

"I'm sorry. I was just walking by and I saw those men… who were they?"

Misaki stared at him shocked. He had witnessed a Contractor. Eventually the group that the Contractor works for would be abducting him to erase what he had seen, which hurt her deeply and hoped that they wouldn't take any of the memory he had of her.

He gazed down at her pant leg that was torn around the knee and noticed her leg was bruised and bleeding.

"Eh, are you alright?" Li asked.

"I'm fine. I just scraped my knee a little bit when you pushed me down."

"Eh? I did that? I'm so sorry, Kirihara-san."

"There's no need to worry about it since it's just a scratch!" she replied frustrated.

Li flinched from her outburst, which caused Misaki to feel ashamed of herself for taking her anger out on him for losing the Contractor. It wasn't his fault, and plus he had saved her.

"I'm sorry, Li-kun," she apologized. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working until five?"

"My boss fired me after I got the mess cleaned up. He said he couldn't afford to keep me around."

She began to feel nauseous.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Li-kun. You lost your job because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Ah, it's okay. I didn't like the job anyway." He replied, as he smiled and slightly tilted his head.

Misaki stared at Li speechless. How could he look on life so carefree? She began to think she needed to hang around him more often and take some notes to lighten her mood. She smiled at him. A loud growling noise rumbled from Li's stomach again, causing Misaki to look at him bewildered.

"Didn't you eat yet, Li-kun?" she said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"No, I was just on my way to that ramen restaurant I was telling you about," said Li smiling. "If you haven't eaten, I would really like for you to join me."

Misaki stared at him for a second before she nodded and said, "I would like that very much."

Even though Misaki had already eaten, she couldn't pass up a chance to sit down to a meal with Li and chat.

He picked up Misaki's purse from the ground and handed it to her. The two started walking beside each other back down the street. Misaki kept on gazing over at Li, noticing his light blue-collar work shirt was unbuttoned at the top and bottom. She blushed slightly as she gazed at his upper muscular chest and his firm abdomen. She averted her eyes when he glanced at her, but she overcame her uneasiness and looked into his attractive midnight blue eyes.

_I've never noticed his eyes before. _She thought to herself, as her heart pounded against her chest_. They're so beautiful and he's so good looking_. Misaki shook off the thought and looked down at the ground._ What am I doing, stop thinking that way, he's just a friend. _Her jaw line tightened while her mind contemplated on her best friend. _Damn Kanami, she's corrupting me._

"Kirihara-san, are you all right?"

"Eh?" muttered Misaki, as she stared at him again.

"You were looking at me, as if you wanted to ask me something," said Li while staring into her eyes. "But now you seem upset about something. Is everything all right?"

"Hai, I'm fine. I'm sorry," said Misaki, as she tilted her head down trying to hide her blushing cheeks from his gaze.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. Misaki had been on dates with a few men and she had felt squeamish around them, but she had always held her composure. Whenever she was with Li she was like a different person. Her harsh ego and strict authority dissipated instantly.

She pushed her feelings to the side, knowing they would return in moments, and asked a question she had wondered after Alice's party.

"Hey, Li-kun," she began with. "What happened to you at the hotel the other day?" Li looked at her stunned from the question, making Misaki feel uncomfortable from his stare. "I mean, I know I had said that you could take off, but you kind of disappeared without saying goodbye. Where'd you go?"

He blinked at her, and then tilted his head sideways, as if he were thinking of an answer.

"Well, I'm not really sure what had happened. One minute I was walking with you and Saitou-san, and then the next; one of the other employees, who had said the hotel was being evacuated, had woken me up. I must have passed out from not eating."

"I don't think that was the case. Somebody who was working for Alice probably saw us walking out of the bathroom, and he or she snuck up behind us to knock you out while he or she let Saitou and…

"Oh, no!"

"What's the matter, Kirihara-san?"

"Saitou!" said Misaki startled, causing Li to stare at her concerned, and then look around.

"Oh, yeah, where is he?" he asked.

"I—I left him back at where the Contractor had attacked me!"

"Contractor?" asked Li peculiarly.

"Eh, it's nothing."

How stupid could she be for forgetting about her partner, and what had happened to him? Not only had she done that she had to open her big mouth about Contractors in front of Li. For some reason she was acting very unprofessional. Misaki also felt awful for what she was about to say to Li.

"I'm so sorry, Li-kun, but I'll have to take a rain-check. He's hurt and…."

"Oh, it's all right," assured Li. "Do you need my help?"

"No, no. We'll be all right. You should go and get something to eat. I wouldn't want you passing out on me too."

"Hai, please be careful."

Misaki smiled at him, hoping it wouldn't be the last time they met, and prayed he would remember her the next time they did, as she ran back to where she had left Saitou. She hoped that he hadn't woken up yet so that she wouldn't have to explain why she had left. Misaki pulled out her phone from her pocket and started to dial his number, but the phone continuously rang until a voice mail message replied, "_This is Saitou, I'm not available; please leave a message."_

When she got back, Saitou was still lying unconscious on his stomach. She started calling out his name and nudged him slightly to try to wake him up, but she found herself kicking him a little too hard, not because he wasn't waking up, but out of frustration for not being able to eat with Li. He still didn't wake up. She pulled out her phone again and started to dial 119.

_How could he be so clumsy?_ Thought Misaki.

She went to go sit down next to him, but spotted something shining in the pile of garbage. Misaki leaned down to pick it up, but stopped at the smell that made her want to gag. She pinched her nose with her left index finger and thumb, and tried for it again.

She picked up a clear crystal stone that looked similar to the one that BK-201 had snatched from VI-952 at Alice's party.

_It could possibly be the same one. This has to be what the men were fighting about_, she thought.

It didn't seem to be anything extraordinary to her, but it was probably worth a lot since these Contractors were after it. Were they somehow connected to BK-201? She continued looking at it, wondering what power it possessed, but then caught a glimpse of whom she thought was Li reflecting in it.

"Li-kun?" she said.

Misaki quickly turned around, but saw no one standing behind her.

"I need to stop thinking about him," said Misaki to herself.

An ambulance came roaring to the scene, as a voice asked motorist to move aside. Medics hopped out of the vehicle and quickly went to check on Saitou.

"He's all right to move," assured one of the medics to Misaki, as the others pulled out a stretcher. "He's just got a slight concussion."

"Thank you," she responded.

**Dark than Black**

Misaki arrived home around ten-thirty five at night after making sure Saitou had woken up at the hospital. She was so exhausted that she flopped on her bed and tried to go to sleep, but thoughts of the two Contractors kept her up. She reminded herself to call Kanami in the morning to find out about those two men so she could find out whom they worked for, and what they wanted with the crystal.

"_The Syndicate will not be happy about this. You better watch your back," _Misaki remembered the blue suit man saying to her and Li.

What Syndicate? Is it the same one BK-201 is working with? Would they send him to kill her and Li, and if they did, why would the blue suit man not just kill them in the alleyway?

Misaki felt a guilty conscious fill up in her stomach and feared that the Syndicate might have sent a Contractor to kill Li instead of wiping his memory. She kicked herself in the bottom for not warning Li of the danger he was in now, and wished she knew his phone number.

"Damn it, I'm such a fool!" she yelled out, as she sat up. "I've been lost in my mind all day. I would have been killed if it weren't for Li-kun!"

"Well, maybe I can take care of that problem for you, Officer Kirihara," said a voice from Misaki's balcony door. Misaki whipped her head through her bedroom door and towards the balcony. She recognized the man with the leather jacket from the alleyway standing before her. "Hand over the item and I may let you live, Officer Kirihara." He demanded while walking over to her with his right palm extended out.

"Hand over what?"

"You know what. It belongs to me so hand it over."

Misaki stared at him wondering if he would let her live. She knew that when people like him got what they wanted they usually tied up the loose ends.

"It's in my purse," she said, hoping she could get her gun instead.

She exited her bedroom, walked over to her kitchen, and grabbed her purse off the counter.

"Don't do anything stupid," he warned.

She reached inside it, thinking of whipping out her gun, but figured she wouldn't be fast enough to get the drop on him, and instead pulled out the stone. Misaki started to walk towards him, but something at the corner of her left eye caught her attention and stopped to gaze at a spherical hole where her lock had been on her door.

_Saitou was right about their case being linked to BK-201. _She thought_._

"Y—you're LM-105 who broke into the restaurant's safe. Why would a valuable stone that BK-201 recovered be in there? Is it a safe house? Do you know who BK-201 is?"

"That really is none of your business. Now hand it over or die."

Misaki found it hard to move after his last statement. The man raised his right arm while pointing his index finger at her, and glowed blue as his eyes turned red.

"Die!"

Misaki braced herself for the attack, but nothing happened, which made her look at the man to see him standing still. His eyes stared at nothing for a few seconds before falling forward onto the floor. Misaki looked in awe to see a knife sticking out of his back. She quickly looked over at her balcony to see a familiar site.

"BK…201?" she said, as she dropped the crystal due to her body trembling in horror.

She quickly recovered as she turned around and tried to run back for her gun, but the Black Reaper pulled out his wire, tossed it to wrap it around her arms and body while holding onto the other end to restrict her from moving, and started to approach her. Misaki slowly turned around as BK-201 stepped before her and intimidated her with his ghostly façade feature that sent chills up her spine, and surged blood through her veins impulsively. She braced herself thinking he might electrocute her or try to knock her out, but instead he bent down and leaned forward slightly to pick up the stone with his left hand. Misaki took a chance with his guard down and kicked at him, but he blocked it with his left hand holding the stone, which caused it to sore and drop onto the floor and role onto the balcony.

BK-201 stood back up and started to walk over to the balcony. Misaki tried to run the opposite direction, hoping that she could force him down on the ground with the wire he was holding her with, but he pulled it back and caused Misaki to fall backwards onto her bottom. BK201 turned back around and picked up the stone, and then looked back over at Misaki while he released the cable around her.

Misaki stood to run after him, but froze up again as the blue suit man dropped onto her balcony and barked, "BK-201, why are you here? You were told not to interfere."

BK-201 stared at him for a few seconds, as if trying to recognize the blue suit man, and then threw his wire at him. The suit man easily dodged to the left while pulling out a couple of cards from his pocket, and threw them in which BK-201 easily deflected with his knife. The Black Reaper then ran straight at the man in blue and swung his knife, just missing his neck, as the man dodged to his left. The man in the blue swung with a left hook, as the Reaper ducked down and kicked him in the stomach, sending the man flying and landing on his bottom just in front of Misaki.

Misaki finally snapped out of it, hurried back to the counter and pulled out her gun from her purse to point it at the suit man while yelling, "Don't move; you're both under arrest!"

The suit man glared at her as he laughed. Unexpectedly he chucked a card at Misaki and clanked it off the front of her gun to knock it out of her hands. It twirled in the air for a few seconds before clunking onto the ground and skidding a few centimeters before coming to a rest. He then threw another card straight at Misaki's heart, but to her surprise one of BK-201's knives deflected the card downwards and punctured the floor by her feet.

The suit man stood up glaring at Misaki while laughing.

"You are getting way too soft, it's pathetic," he commented to BK-201. "Why are you concerned for the safety of this woman? You're a Contractor, you should act like one."

The Contractor grabbed Misaki's arm and used her as a shield with his left hand around her throat, and the other with a card pressed up against her stomach. She knew she should be concerned for her own life, but her thoughts dwelled on Li and hoped that he was all right, or had the blue suit contractor already killed him?

"Now what are you going to do? If you want to save her, the logical thing is to hand over the stone and just leave."

BK-201 stood in silence. Suddenly his right hand quickly grabbed a knife from his holster under his arm and threw it, striking the suit man's right leg.

The suit man screamed out in pain and released his hold on Misaki, allowing her to run into her bedroom. The next thing she witnessed was a bolt of electricity flowing through the wire that attached to BK-201's knife, and then it engulfing the suit man's body. He howled in agony as his body shook like a blob of jello, and then fell onto the floor motionless.

BK-201 glanced over at Misaki who was looking around her room for her gun, but noticed it lying on the other side by the balcony. Fear began to rush through her body again, as she stared back at the Black Reaper. That feeling quickly changed when she realized that he had an emotion of concern emitting from his body. Misaki wanted to say thank you, but the words wouldn't come out.

She watched him as he walked onto the balcony and leaped over the railing. She quickly went over to scoop up her gun, and ran onto the balcony to aim down and fire at BK-201, but he had disappeared again.

Misaki walked back into her room and glanced around, sighing at the mess caused by the three Contractors. She walked over to the one in blue and kneeled next to him to feel for a pulse, but there was none. While glancing at the other Contractor she dialed her headquarters number, asked the person who answered it to send back up, and to have someone check on Li.

"He lives in apartment 201," she informed. "Please call me and let me know if he's okay."

As soon as she hung up, she dialed another number.

"_Moshi, Moshi_" a faint and sleepy voice said on the other end.

"Kanami, it's me."

"_Misaki, do you have any idea what time it is. Some of us have to work in the morning."_ She replied softly and irritated.

"I know, I'm sorry, but a lot's happened to me. May I come over and crash at your place for a couple of nights."

"What? Sure, but what's wrong?"

"I'll explain later," replied Misaki, as she hung up.

Misaki walked over to her closet with her feet slightly dragging from feeling fatigued. She pulled out a few clothes, and stuffed them in a small carrying bag. She then walked over to her bed, sat down on the edge, and flopped backwards.

As she waited for the police to arrive, Misaki began to think about BK-201 again.

"_BK201,_ _why are you here? You were told to not interfere?"_ she remembered the blue suit Contractor saying. _"You are getting way too soft, it's pathetic. Why are you concerned for the safety of this woman? You're a Contractor, you should act like one."_

Those words kept echoing in Misaki's ears. Why is it that the most fearsome Contractor in the world would save her from the two other Contractors? It was quite clear that the Black Reaper and the card Contractor worked for the same organization, and BK-201 was not supposed to be here. Nevertheless, why would he come to save her? Is it all just a misunderstanding, or did he need her for some grand plot? But then again, maybe there's another side to this brutal murderer that no one knows about.

--

The police arrived moments later with her captain and Matsumoto. Hourai looked upset at her as she started to explain to them the details of what had happened.

"Where's BK-201, Officer Kirihara?" the Commander asked angrily.

"He jumped off the balcony and vanished, sir," replied Misaki

"What, you let him get away again!" Hourai yelled without any concern for her well-being.

"Sir, there's no time for that. We need to bring in the owner of that restaurant. He was holding the crystal stone that BK-201 retrieved at Wang Shaotang's Hotel in his safe. He may know something about the organization that BK-201 works for."

"Crystal stone that BK-201 had?" the Commander questioned.

"Yes, send a car over to his house to pick him up."

"We can't, Misaki. The owner's body was just found dead two blocks down from the restaurant earlier today."

"What? What happened to him?"

"I don't know. There's evidence that a Contractor was involved."

"The organization that he works for must have had him killed to keep him quiet. Who found…?" she began to ask, but was interrupted as her phone rang.

"Kirihara desu," she said into the phone.

"_Misaki, Its Ootsuka. About the man you wanted us to check…_"

"Li-kun, is he all right?" She said impatiently.

"_Hai, he's fine. He was eating when they knocked on his door._"

"Thank you, Ootsuka," she replied relieved, and then hung up the phone.

"Misaki, you look tired," said Hourai, finally showing a little sympathy. "Why don't you let Matsumoto drive you to a hotel for the night? We'll clean up here."

"But sir, I…."

"No buts, Misaki, you need to leave the rest up to us. We'll get the rest of your statement tomorrow."

"Hai, but can Matsumoto take me to Ishizaki's place instead."

Misaki went to go grab her bag and then looked over to see Matsumoto waiting by her door and walked over to meet him.

"Is your friend you had us check on all right?" he asked while grabbing her bag for her.

"Hai." Misaki responded while smiling.

She was grateful to hear that through this whole ordeal he was safe and finally able to get something to eat. She wished that she could sit down with him knowing his sweet, calm, and charming smile would sooth her nerves, and hoped that she would be able to see him again soon.

--

Hei lay on the bench at the park on a cloudy morning waiting for Huang, as Yin held Mao on her lap while he swatted his tail against her leg. Huang entered the park and walked over to Hei looking displeased.

"Why did you do it?" he barked. "Why did you kill LR-924?"

"I didn't," replied Hei as he sat up. "The Contractor from MI-6 killed him before I got there."

"Don't you joke with me!" shouted Huang, as he threw down his hat. "He had a stab wound the size of your knife in his leg, and he was killed by electricity! Explain that!"

"Maybe Officer Kirihara stabbed him with a kitchen knife and then shocked him with a stun gun."

"I don't think a stun gun would kill him." Huang said through clenched teeth, and then added, "The Syndicate wants the cell phone back before you fry it."

"Ah, about that, it's too late."

Hei pulled out the phone, showing it had scorch marks on it and the glass screen was shattered. He handed it to a hot head Huang who snorted.

"Baka, that's why you were not supposed to go take anyone out!"

He turned on his heels; his shoulders squared up as his arm muscles tightened, and stormed out of the park.

"Good work, Yin," said Mao. "If you hadn't seen that detective woman pick up the crystal stone we wouldn't have known about it."

Hei knew about Misaki finding the stone, because he had followed her back to check on Saitou and saw her pick it up. He wasn't going to involve Huang and Mao since he knew they would contact the Syndicate about it in which they would send in LR-924 to retrieve it, and take out Misaki as they had planned.

"Oi, Hei. Why didn't you try to take her out?" asked Mao. "With her gone our job would be easier."

Hei thought on it. Deep down he felt like it would have been the wrong thing to do to her. For some reason she made him feel like he wasn't a Contractor; like when he was undercover at Wang Shaotang's Hotel, and when he was walking down the streets towards Home Run House with her yesterday.

"Because it wouldn't have been right," replied Hei, startling Mao.

--

Author's notes:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's more Misaki and Li/BK201 to come.

119 – Emergency call for Ambulance & Fire in Japan.

--

Japanese translations:

Baka – Idiot

Nani – What?

Hai – Yes

Moshi Moshi – Hello


	3. A Blast of Wind

A Heart is not Black

Chapter 3: Blast of Wind

--

Huang paced back and forth in front of the elephant slide with a cigarette in his mouth, as Mao's head followed him while he watched from the circular bench. Furious from waiting for Hei, Huang pulled out his cigarette box and threw it hard on the ground, and then took his right foot to crush it repeatedly as he imagined it as Hei's head.

"Where is that boy, Mao?" Huang asked irritated and impatiently.

"He's on the way; he'll be here in a few seconds," stated Yin.

"Damn him!"

"There he is," said Mao.

Huang looked over his shoulder to see Hei wearing his white shirt and his hands tucked in his blue pant's pockets, as he slowly made his way over to them.

"Where have you been?" Huang screamed at Hei, raising his arms at him. "I've been waiting here forever."

"I'm right on time," Hei said, looking at Huang confused.

"You should be more considerate to your superiors," Huang said furiously, his face beet red. "You're lucky the Syndicate is giving you another job after the stunt you had pulled with Yin and her so-called pianist. They got some information about a trade off between an unknown MI-6 agent, and a CIA agent named Kaze. They're meeting together at Yoyogi Park near the Meiji Shrine. The Syndicate wants the object that the MI-6 agent will be handing over to Kaze. They are both contractors, so watch your back.

"Do they want me to take out the two agents?"

"Whatever needs to be done to get the item? It would be easier if you wait until after the trade off though. They don't care about the item the MI-6 agent will be receiving."

"What time?"

"They aren't sure, but they do know it will be sometime tomorrow night. Yin and Mao, you are to watch the area while Hei stands by. When you see them, alert Hei."

"Hai" Yin nodded.

"Don't screw this up," Huang stated.

He turned to leave while looking for his cigarettes, and remembered he had trampled on them. He cursed at his ignorance for doing such a stupid thing, and began fishing through his pockets to see if he had enough change for another pack.

"What's his hurry, Mao?" asked Hei. "He's usually the one running late."

"Who knows?" replied Mao, as he stretched to get ready to leave.

"He has a date," spoke up Yin.

"What!" said Mao and Hei, as they stood there with their eyes wide open and mouths dropped in shock.

--

The air was humid and gave off a damp smell after a downpour that had ended ten minutes ago. Hei sat on a tree branch in the park, his hair and clothes getting soaked from water dripping off leaves, as he waited for Yin to inform him through his earpiece in his right ear that the agents were approaching.

He kept thinking about the other night when he asked Yin to decide if they were partners or not. She had responded with lifting up her lip to smile at him. He never expected a reaction like that and was amazed to see that somehow she was changing inside.

It was starting to get late, as Hei was getting impatient and hoped the Syndicate had the correct information. Mao jumped up on the tree, hoping to scare Hei, but it didn't faze him.

"Any sign of them, Mao?" Hei asked.

"No, I haven't seen them. Maybe the Syndicate got the wrong day."

"_They've arrived, Hei__,__" _said Yin through the earpiece. _"They're in the middle of the park_.

Hei grabbed his wire to hook it to another tree, and swung his way towards his targets like Tarzan.

"Impatient as always," Mao commented, as he watched Hei depart.

Hei saw the two agents standing under a tree, as he landed on a branch ten meters away from them. He watched them in silence, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

His eyes widened in shock from recognizing the MI-6 agent, November Eleven, and decided to do what Haung demanded after the exchange. November Eleven was a skillful contractor, and he would have an advantage with a drenched terrain.

The CIA agent seemed like a pushover with his long trench coat that covered a business suit from the rainstorm, and a ridiculous light short brown hairstyle that was sticking up to the right.

The two men said nothing to each other, as they quickly exchanged their items, and went on their separate ways out of the park. Hei followed the pompous CIA agent, quietly hopping and swinging from tree to tree, hardly making any noise from the water logged leaves.

Hei dropped down onto the walk path and threw his knife at the agent's back, but it stopped in mid air a few centimeters from its target, and then fell to clank back and forth on its hilt and blade harmlessly. Kaze turned around and glared at Hei with hollow-like sky blue eyes. Hei grabbed his cable and threw it at his target, but it too was stopped and deflected down to the ground. Hei grabbed another knife, flowing electricity through it, as he started to run towards his target, but found himself having to summersault to his right as a park bench came soaring at him end over end. It shattered into pieces a few meters away from him. Hei was about to stand, but a blast of wind picked him up instead, and then he was thrown hard into a tree.

--

Misaki sat in her Porsche driving through traffic in Harajuku as her phone rang. She parked her car, dug in her purse for her phone, and pulled it out to flip it open and said into it, "Kirihara desu."

"Chief, it's Ootsuka. Ishizaki just called. BK-201 and KY-422 are active at the park near the Meiji Shrine."

"Yoyogi Park! I'm in Harajuku; I can be there in no time. I'm headed straight there, it should give us a better chance at capturing him. Please send back-up."

"They're already on their way. Misaki, don't do anything crazy."

"I won't. Thanks Ootsuka."

Misaki threw her phone onto the passenger seat, and peeled off into traffic. She kept her siren off so she wouldn't alarm BK-201 of her approach.

Misaki arrived at the park minutes later. She grabbed her purse and hurried out of her car, and quietly ran down the pathway while trying to avoid the puddles. As she got halfway through the park, she heard crashing noises ahead, and took cover behind a tree. She reached inside her purse, pulled out her gun, and started moving slowly towards the noises, concealing herself behind trees. As she got closer she could see BK-201 dodging branches, and benches. A vending machine across from where Misaki was, highlighted in blue, lifted into the air, and tore the plug out of the wall to get thrown at BK-201 like it was a baseball. BK-201 rolled out of its path, and crashed into the damp grass, causing soda pop cans to shoot out of it and spray fizz everywhere.

_He's so quick,_ she thought and then noticed KY-422 standing with his arms flying around like a conductor guiding the objects in the path he wanted.

BK-201 was lifted in an updraft, but he whipped out his cable line to wrap it around a tree, and he flung himself in front of the tree Misaki was hiding behind. She pointed her gun at him and was about to shoot, but he swung off, infuriating her, but she then realized why he had moved, as a gust of wind blew her glasses off, and caused her to lose her gun while she fell on her bottom. She scrambled feeling for her glasses with her hands, but suddenly heard something smash glass. Misaki continued searching for her glasses, found them, and put them on to see they had been shattered by an unidentified flying object near by.

Misaki stood while squinting to see a dark figure and a tan figure moving around each other with things flying about.

"Damn it!" she cursed. "I can't see clearly in the dark without my glasses."

Something crashed nearby, causing the black figure of BK-201 to look over his shoulder, showing a blurry whiteness to Misaki. A blast of wind was sent at him since his attention was on her, resulting in his mask being blown off and shattering to pieces.

Misaki widened her eyes in shock, believing she would be able to identify who he is, and narrowed them to get a better look at him.

_Damn it! _She yelled in her mind._ Why did __my glasses __have to break?_

Noticing that BK-201 was pre-occupied, KY-422 threw a brown thing that looked like a bench, and slammed it into BK-201 to send him into the air, and dropped him in a large puddle of water with the bench on top of him. He lay there trying to gather the breath that was knocked out of him.

Kaze waltzed over to BK-201, placed his right leg on the bench, and pressed down to crush him. BK-201 let out a cry of pain.

"Who do you work for?" asked the tan figure.

"Why bother telling you since you're going to die," Hei replied.

"What?" asked the tan figure baffled.

A fuzzy blue light that seemed to continuously change shape covered the two Contractors, as an electrocution sound filled the air. Misaki had guessed that BK-201 had summoned his power and electrocuted his opponent through the water.

"E…lec…tric…i…ty?" the tan figure babbled with his last breath.

He stood still for a second before falling backwards into the puddle, splashing water around him. Within seconds a blurry stream of line shot downwards from the sky, telling Misaki a star had fallen.

--

Hei pushed the bench off him, stood up while cringing in pain, and kneeled over Kaze to search his jacket. He felt something circular and pulled it out to reveal it was a small clear round plastic cylinder that contained a bee in it.

_Is this what the Syndicate is after? _He thought as he searched Kaze's other pockets for anything else, but only found chewing gum. _Damn it! The gum has to be his obeisance! I don't even want to know why I, the Fearsome Black Reaper, risked my life for_ _a stupid little bug! _

Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention to see Officer Kirihara running out from behind the tree and aim her gun at him.

"You're under arrest, BK-201!" she said to him.

_Damn, now I have to silence her. _He said to himself.

Hei quickly threw his cable and wrapped it around Misaki's gun to fling it from her grip. He was about to swing and wrap the cable around her wrist to electrocute her, but noticed she was squinting to get a better look at him, and then remembered she had a hard time seeing without glasses.

--

Misaki was cringing in the tug-a-war battle, as she tried to get a better look at BK-201. Unable to see what he looked like, she looked down at her purse to pull out a spare gun, but she found herself falling on her bottom instead. She held onto her gun and aimed it at BK-201, but he wasn't there. She then felt hands on her shoulders and realized he had snuck up behind her.

Misaki swallowed in fright and felt electricity shoot through her body, believing she had just been killed, as her eyes slowly closed and her body went limb.

--

Hei looked down at her, believing if not killing her was the right thing to do. He wasn't one hundred percent sure Kirihara Misaki didn't recognize the face she knew as Li Shengshun. No doubt Huang and the Syndicate wouldn't be pleased with him if he refused to end her life.

Hei frowned and placed his hand on her heart to kill her, but hesitated.

_No, I can't do it. It's not right. _Hei said to himself. _I know she didn't see my face. She had called me BK-201 and not Li-kun._ _There is no point in killing her since I will get nothing in return except the murder of an officer on my résumé. _

He heard sirens in the background and then took off leaving Misaki lying on the ground.

--

Hei sat on the bench with Huang who stood in front of him, as the blazing afternoon sun beat down on them. Yin sat on top of the elephant slide while Mao lay near Hei's feet. Hei had given the bug to Huang, telling him about his fight with Kaze and how Misaki had been there to witness it. He had also told them that she might have seen his face.

"The Syndicate is aware of it, Hei," Huang stated.

"How'd they find out?" asked Hei surprised.

"You can't hide from the Syndicate. They want you to kill her tonight at her place."

"What? I can't just go and kill a Police Officer!"

"That doesn't matter to them. Besides, with her out of the way, it will make our jobs easier. If you can't do it, they'll just send in someone else and then have you killed."

"But there's a chance she didn't see me."

"Just do what you're told. You're a contractor; you should just shut the hell up and kill. You're to make it look like a break-in, and you are to reframe from using your ability."

"Why?"

"They don't want a certain group of people to know."

"What group of people, Huang?" asked Mao.

"How the heck would I know? They give me the missions, and I tell you guys who they want dead."

Huang departed the park. Hei looked down at Mao and asked, "You said you can connect with the Syndicate's network, right?"

"Hai, why?" replied Mao peculiarly while sitting up.

"See if what Huang had said is true. I want to make sure he's not pulling my chain on this."

Mao looked up at him wagging his tail baffled, but then nodded and stared at nothing.

"Hai," he said, looking back up at Hei. "Also, if you can't kill her then they'll send GC-704 to do it for you."

"Nani?"

--

Misaki sat on her sofa with the television broadcasting 'Hey! Hey! Hey!' as she chatted with Kanami on the phone about the fight between BK-201 and KY-422. The hosts of the show were talking with Gackt and harassing him again.

"What I don't get is why am I still alive?" questioned Misaki.

"_Maybe he figured since you didn't see his face __clearly __because you didn't have your glasses __on__?" gestured Kanami._

"No, BK-201 isn't like 'that. He's an assassin who would murder anyone that would get in his way, and a Contractor at that. I don't get it?"

"_Well, I'm sure he has to report to a hire authority, and I'll bet they aren't happy with him."_

"Hai," replied Misaki, but then her eyes widened in shock. "I'm such an idiot!"

"_Misaki?"_

"I'm still in danger! BK-201 works for this group called the Syndicate, and I'm sure these people don't want anybody to get in their way, and since they think that I saw BK-201's face, they would order him to kill me! I need to get out of here right now."

"_What about staying with Saitou?_"

"No, I need to stay with someone that is not connected to my work."

"_How about you stay at my place then?_"

"No, I'm connected to you just as much as Saitou."

"_Don't you know anyone else?"_

Misaki stood silent as she pondered on whom she could stay with. Only one idea came to her.

"Hai, I know someone that I can stay with."

"_Really, who?"_

--

Hei stood outside Misaki's apartment watching her through her window, as she talked to someone on the phone. He kept thinking back to the day he had met her, looking so beautiful in the Chinese dress, and he had enjoyed the little time he had spent with her. How ironic it was that now he would have to silence her after the many times he had already saved her. Hei was also upset to hear that the Syndicate was going to send GC-704 to kill Kirihara Misaki. There was no need for them to send him in. He could take care of her with no problem.

_Can you really? _A voice asked in his head.

Hei clenched his teeth for his thoughts thinking that. Now was not the time for him to second-guess himself. Movement in Misaki's apartment caught his attention and noticed she was packing up things.

_Damn, she's smart. _He said to himself. _She's trying to break for it and hide. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to get an hour older._

Hei took out his knife and cut a wire connection that was run up the wall.

--

Misaki was about to exit her apartment when the power went out. Fear poured throughout her body, knowing that BK-201 was here. She pulled out her gun from her purse and began listening for any noises that would give away BK-201's whereabouts. She wondered if she should barge out her front door since the last time he came in through the balcony. Before she could take a step towards her door the glass to her balcony door shattered. Misaki frightfully turned around to see BK-201 entering, wearing his haunting mask, and long coat that seemed darker than black swaying in the wind. He held a split-blade with keen-edges and a wire that looked tightly wound.

She went to go fire a shot at him, but he was too quick for her and threw his knife to knock her gun out of her hands. She went to go for it, but BK-201 stopped her as he wrapped his cable around her wrists. BK-201 slid the wire between the split of his blade, and impaled it into the roof. He then pulled down on the wire, stringing up Misaki a little bit off the ground, and pulled out another blade to nail the wire secure in the floor.

BK-201 took a couple of steps towards her, his mask a meter away to where she gazed into his mask's hollow black narrow eyes. He then raised his right hand up to her, which she believed he was going to choke her, but he stopped centimeters from her neck.

Misaki looked at him baffled at why he was hesitating, but used this moment to put things into his head.

"No, don't do it!" Misaki pleaded. "I didn't see your face! Killing me won't stop the Foreign Affairs from coming after you. It'll just make them want to come after you more! Please, there is no reason why you have to kill me. I know you know that. Please, don't do this."

BK-201 just stared at her. Suddenly he moved his hand again, which made Misaki brace for her life, and cried on the inside for her failed attempt at altering his mind. To her surprise he didn't grab her neck, but her glasses instead and removed them. Misaki went to kick him, but he blocked it and moved behind her to wrap his left arm around her neck.

Misaki tensed from his hold, believing he was going to electrocute her, but he didn't. For some reason it felt like some other person was holding her in his arms. She could feel that his body was all muscle from it pressed up against her back, his own heart pounding heavily, which she had felt uncomfortable at first, but now she felt safe, as if nothing could harm her.

A woman who was seeking a shoulder to lean on had replaced the tough and strict Kirihara Misaki. Misaki didn't know who that person was, but she didn't want to succumb to that person and fought with those emotions.

"Wha—what…? What are you waiting for?" Misaki stuttered. "Why…? Why are…? Why are you… hesitating?"

He didn't answer her. He did nothing but hold her, making her feel safe for some reason.

--

_Why am I hesitating?_ Hei thought as he struggled with his emotions. _I'm the Black Reaper; I was ordered to kill her, why can't I do it_?

His head was pressed against the side of hers, drowning in at how soft her hair was, and how wonderful it smelled. He had had emotions of this kind before, but now that he's a Contractor he shouldn't have these feelings. Unfortunately Hei was, and it was getting in his way of him doing his job.

He fought with his emotions and tried to squeeze the life out of her, but his heart wouldn't let him.

_I can't do it_. Hei thought to himself, as police sirens pulled up to the apartment complex.

Hei released his grip on her, and yanked the blade out of the floor, causing Misaki to fall on her bottom and stare at him baffled. He walked through the shattered balcony door, and jumped over the railing.

--

Misaki sat on her floor surprised to see that BK-201 didn't kill her. Had her plea for her life really worked, or was it something else? Did he hesitate and let her go after hearing police sirens? No, it wasn't because of that. BK-201 wouldn't allow a little siren to get in his way of killing someone. Nevertheless, why did he let her live for a second time?

Someone busted through her front door with a few people tailing and scanned her apartment holding guns.

"Chief, are you okay?" Saitou asked, as he saw Misaki still tied up at the wrists. He kneeled in front of her and started to try to untangle her.

"Hai, I'm fine" she replied.

"Damn, it's all tangled up. Get a pair of wire cutters," Saitou yelled back to one of the other officers.

"What happened, Chief?" questioned Kouno as he walked through the door.

"BK-201 was here."

"BK-201?" questioned Hourai.

"Hai, what are you guys doing here?"

"Kanami called us saying you thought your life was still in danger and begged us to get over here immediately."

One of the officers came in and handed Saitou a pair of wire cutters and cut the wires around Misaki's wrist.

"What was he doing here?" Saitou asked

"He came to kill me, but I guess you guys scared him away since he jumped off the balcony when he heard the sirens."

"Nani, he tried to kill you again? Why?" Saitou asked flabbergasted.

"Not sure, but I think it has to do with me witnessing him fighting another Contractor."

"What bad luck your glasses had to break," said Kouno. "If they didn't, we would have known what he looks like."

"No, it's a good thing my glasses did. BK-201 would have killed me right then and there."

"No doubt he'll be back to finish the job, Misaki," stated her captain. "You need to find a safe place to stay. We'll clean up over here."

"I know a friend who I can ask. Saitou, can I get you to give me a ride over there, please?"

"Hai, no problem."

Misaki and Saitou exited her apartment, walked through the apartment complex, and exited the front door to head over to Saitou's car. He stepped over to the passenger's side and opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Saitou," she smiled.

--

Hei lay down on his futon in his room with his black tank top on and his arms behind his head.

_LR-924 was right, _he thought. _I am getting too soft, but why should I kill her since __she didn't see my face._

Hei was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard a knock on the door. He stood up and walked over to it, thinking it was his neighbor coming to ask him to borrow his cooking pot again. Shock overwhelmed him as he opened the front door and stared at the persons he didn't want to see at the moment.

"Kirihara-san, Saitou-san?" he said flabbergasted. He began to think that maybe she did see his face and came to arrest him. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, Umm…" Misaki began, looking away from him while her face turned beet red. "I was wondering…"

"What's wrong, Kirihara-san?"Hei asked, as he bent sideways to stare up at Misaki's averting eyes. He expected Saitou would be pulling out his handcuffs and throwing them on his wrist. _I'm such a fool, I should have silenced her. _He thought as he pondered on an escape plan.

"I—I know it's late… and… and we don't know each other too well, but I—I was hoping that... that I might be able to... to… stay here… for a while?" she final asked.

Hei just stared at her, shocked. _Was this some kind of game? _He thought. _Were they trying to catch me off guard_?

"St—st—stay… here? Is… is everything… all right?" he asked acting as if he knew nothing.

"Please, can she stay here?" Saitou asked while bowing.

Hei blinked at him surprised, not expecting something so formal.

"Ha—hai, but why can't she stay with you? You're good friends right?"

"That's why she can't stay with me"

Hei stared at Saitou puzzled.

"Sorry, Li-kun" Misaki said while staring into his eyes. "Please, I don't mean to intrude, but there is a terrible man who is out to kill me. He'll find me if I stay with Saitou."

Hei looked at Misaki, and then back at Saitou shocked. "Someone is trying to kill her?"

"Hai," replied Saitou.

"Please, may I come in?" pleaded Misaki.

"Hai, please, come in," Hei gestured the two inside.

Misaki and Saitou entered the room and glanced around the empty apartment. There was nothing in the room except many dishes in the sink, a table in the corner by the window, and a futon on the floor.

"I'm sorry there's nowhere to sit. I don't spend much time here because of school and work." Hei said embarrassed, while pulling the table out from the corner and gesturing for the two to sit around it. "Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"

"No thank you, Li-kun." Misaki said while sitting down.

"I'm fine," replied Saitou.

"Now, what's happened, who's trying to kill you?" asked Hei.

"I'm sorry, Li-kun, I can't tell you without putting your life in danger."

"Is it the guy who tried to kill you in the alleyway the other day?"

Misaki stared at him for a few seconds before glancing away as if to ponder on something.

"Hai. It's him," she said, unable to look at him in the eyes and lie. "He tried attacking me at my apartment."

Hei figured Misaki had said that in order to prevent any more questions so she wouldn't have to mention about BK-201. He wondered if her lying was to keep him off guard, but apart of him didn't believe she thought he was BK-201.

"Well then it's not safe for you to stay here either. He may come after me next."

Misaki's eyes lit up in shock from Hei's statement. She finally met his, and then looked away again.

"Kirihara-san, what's wrong?" asked Hei.

She stared at him again with fear showing behind her brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Li-kun. I really don't know where else to go. Please believe me when I tell you, you don't have to worry about him, and I really can't tell you anything else without endangering your life."

"Chief!" Saitou interrupted. "His life is already in danger by you staying here. Tell him."

Hei's eyes widened while he looked at Saitou and pretended to be scared, as he asked, "Tell me what?"

"Misaki witnessed an assassination today, and now he's after her life to keep her from turning him in."

"Saitou!" Misaki yelled "You have no right…"

"I'm sorry Chief; he has the right to know."

"An assassin?" questioned Hei. "Were you able to get a good look at him?"

"No, my glasses broke and I can't see clearly in the dark without them."

"Really," Hei said while trying to hold back his relieved expression, and smiled at her saying, "well I guess I can ask the landlady if she has an extra futon that you can sleep on. I also have to work in the morning, so I hope you'll be alright by yourself."

"Arigatou, Li-kun." Misaki said relieved as she smiled back at him. "Don't worry about me tomorrow; I just need a place to stay."

"Please take care of her, Li-kun." Saitou said bowing and stood up from the table, as did Hei.

"I'll walk down with you so I can get that futon. Kirihara-san, please make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." The two walked over and out the door.

--

Misaki got up and walked over to Li's futon. She sighed from fatique as she found herself falling over onto the futon. She had thought of what to say to Li to ask him about staying at his place, but she found it hard to find the right words when she saw him, especially with him wearing a tank top that showed off his muscles. His midnight blue eyes didn't make things easier.

Misaki was shocked that Li still remembered about the incident in the alleyway, but also pleased.

_How come they didn't erase his memory? _Misaki thought. _Maybe LR-924 did not tell this Syndicate and planned to kill Li himself, but he didn't count on BK-201 preventing him from carrying out his plan._

After Misaki had lied about who was after her and Li had said that his life was in danger, she had thought about telling him about BK-201, but she reframed from doing such a thing since it would put his life in danger again.

She began thinking about BK-201 and how long he stood behind her with his arm around her neck and his body pressed up against her back. He clearly had come to kill her, but for some reason he had hesitated. Why did he hesitate and would he come back to finish the job?

With that lingering last thought Misaki fell into a deep sleep.

--

Hei had gotten the extra futon from his landlady, but she held him up so she could talk with Saitou and complain about pet control around the neighborhood.

"I get this stupid black cat hanging around here a lot and it is driving me insane!" she yelled.

Saitou laughed awkwardly, as Hei scratched the back of his head embarrassed, knowing she was talking about Mao.

A sneeze came from above their heads. Hei looked up to see Mao roaming about, and then down at them. He freaked out that he had been busted from a stupid sneeze.

"That's him!" shouted Hei's landlady.

She went back into her office and came out with a broom, and started swinging at Mao like a major league baseball player. She connected with his bottom, and sent him soaring across the street and over the fence.

"And stay out!" she yelled.

"Well, I'll be off," said Saitou.

"Make sure you tell them about my complaints, Detective!" she reminded him.

"Hai!" He shouted, as he entered his car.

Moments later he drove off.

"Ne, Li, why do I get the feeling he won't?" she asked him.

Hei smiled and replied with, "Thank you for lending me this futon."

"Anytime, Li."

Hei's landlady closed her door.

Hei ascended to his room and entered to see that Misaki was sound asleep on his futon. He smiled as he set the futon on the floor, walked over to Misaki, and pulled his covers over her while removing her glasses. He stared at them for a minute and then placed them on his table. How such a trivial thing like these could change a person's thinking.

--

Misaki woke up the next morning, remembering she had fallen asleep with her glasses on, but they were missing. She squinted to look around the room, noticing that there was an empty futon two-body widths from hers. She guessed that Li had slept in it last night and surprised he was already up and gone.

_He is so quiet. _She thought to herself. _I didn't even hear him get up_.

Misaki then noticed she was lying on his futon with the covers pulled over her. _I don't even remember laying the covers over me._

She continued scanning the small room, and noticed something that resembled her glasses on the table. She stood to walk over to the table, stretching away her exhaustion, and snatched her glasses to put them on.

Misaki checked the time on her watch and realized it was a quarter past ten.

Her stomach suddenly growled from the food it had been denied for so long. She then remembered the ramen restaurant that Li suggested was not far from here.

A lingering smell caught her attention, wondering what it was, and then realized it was her. Misaki sighed, knowing her stomach was going to have to wait, as she grabbed some clean clothes, and freshened up in Li's shower, hoping he wouldn't mind. After she quickly cleaned up and changed, she grabbed her purse and headed for the Home Run House.

--

Mao and Yin sat at the playground listening to Hei fill them in about last night's ordeal.

"Are you serious?" shouted Mao with his fur standing on end. "Kirihara Misaki is at your place? I don't believe it?"

"Hai, she is," nodded Yin. "I saw her enter Hei's place."

"Yin, did Huang tell you to spy on me?" asked Hei, as he whipped his head to look at her.

"No, I just wanted to see if you could silence her. But you didn't, and I'm glad."

Mao and Hei stared at her stunned.

"Oh well, I guess it'll make things easier for you to take…"

"I'm not killing her, Mao," stated Hei. "She never saw my face so there is no reason what-so-ever to take her out."

"What?" questioned Mao, as sweat poured down his face. "Oi, Huang's not going to like this."

"That's why we're not going to tell him."

"W—w—wait, Hei, you heard what…"

"I heard, but I don't care."

"You may not, but I do! I don't want to be on the Syndicate's hit list, Hei!"

"Then I'll tell them you and Yin had no part in it."

"It still won't matter. They'll still do it."

"What are you two blabbing about now?" asked Huang as he trotted into the park.

"N—n—nothing, Huang," Mao replied shaking in his fur.

"Is that so, or are you two acting like I don't know Hei failed again. The reports had said that you almost killed her. What happened this time, couldn't kill with your bare hands?"

"I froze."

"Don't bullshit me, you no good piece of trash! We both know you didn't. You let her go, and now she's missing. The Syndicate is giving you one last chance to find where she is and kill her. If you don't then they're sending another Contractor to take you out."

Hei just stared back with an angry blank epression, as Huang started to exit the park.

"Oh, one other thing," he began to say, glancing over his shoulder. "The Syndicate needs you to pick up an item in Hiro-o and deliver it to where your contact tells you. Just sit on the bench outside the building; they'll know who you are. Here's the address." Huang handed Hei a piece of paper.

"When?"

"Today, be there around 1:00."

"Why me?"

"Just do as you're told. You're lucky they haven't killed you yet," Huang said as he walked out and around the corner.

"Hei, you should have told him," Mao stated.

"It wouldn't matter; I was given an order and I didn't carry it out. The Syndicate is not happy about it. I'm lucky they are giving me a second chance, that gives me time to figure out how to get them to lay off her."

"Hei, Misaki is walking this way," said Yin.

"Nani?" Mao said as he stared up at Yin disbelievingly.

Hei sat up straight and looked over at her shocked. Misaki was going to be surprised to see him since he had said he had to go to work this morning. Mao meowed terribly while she approach, as Yin started to play on the slide.

--

Misaki walked by the open fence area of the park, when she caught a glimps of Li in his black tank top, sitting on the round bench and staring at her like she had caught his hand in a cookie jar.

"Li-kun?" she said surprisingly, as her eyes blinked.

"Eh, good morning, Kirihara-san," Li blushed while scratching the back of his head, and looking down at the ground.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Eh, well, I broke a bunch of dishes again. My boss sent me home because of it, and well, I figured you were still asleep because of how late you were out, so I stopped off here so I wouldn't wake you. I usually stop off here after school as well. Sorry I didn't come home and make sure you were awake, Kirihara-san."

"You're working at another restaurant?" Misaki asked dumfounded.

"Hai, well I'm not anymore."

"Where are your work clothes?" Misaki asked, as she looked at Li in his tank top, believing he had not gone to work.

"Oh, my manager made me turn them in before I left," Li said while looking at the ground still scratching his head.

Misaki could have sworn the neko frowned at Li's comment, but nekos couldn't understand human language, and pushed that ridiculous thought aside.

"You really do pick some lousy jobs, Li-kun. " Misaki giggled, "I thought you would have learned from the last …"

A little growl came from her stomach.

"Have you eaten yet?" Li asked as he tilted his head.

"No, I was just on my way to that ramen restauraunt you had told me about. It's around here, right?"

"Hai, I'll take you there."

Misaki and Li began to leave the park, but Misaki stopped to look back at Yin playing on the slide.

She thought it was pecular that this young girl was wearing a black gothic dress at a playground. She dismissed the thought, deciding she was probably some kind of cosplay, and walked down with Li to the restaurant.

--

Mao kept his eyes narrowed on the departing couple, as he whipped his tail about.

"I don't like this one bit," muttered Mao. "Hei's a Contractor and Contractors are deceivers, but for some reason when he's around her, Hei's a different person."

"It's all right, Mao, I like Hei like that," spoke up Yin, no longer playing on the slide.

Mao's mouth dropped open while he quickly looked at Yin shocked, as sweat dripped down the side of his head.

"Yin, you've noticed too?" he asked.

"Hai." Yin nodded.

--

Misaki felt a little blemish while she walked next to Li, having a hard time thinking of what to say, as she kept on staring down at the ground.

_What is wrong with __you, __Misaki? _She asked herself. _You're The Section Chief of the Foreign Affairs, talking to Li shouldn't be a problem!_

However, it was. Misaki couldn't think of anything to say to him. She figured saying, "What a lovely morning," was too corny, and asking how he was fired was a wrong thing to ask.

An odorous smell lingered into her lungs, averting her thoughts away from her predicament, and took a whiff of her clothes.

"Damn"

"What is it Kirihara-san?"

"I bumped into some ugly fat guy just a little bit ago who reeked of tobacco. Now my clothes smell like cigarettes."

Li looked at Misaki flabbergasted, and then frowned.

"Oh, that guy," said Li, his voice sounding nervous. "I'm sometimes bumping into him as well. He's a hot head and loud mouth all in one. He's threatened me a couple of times to watch my back."

Misak looked at Li peculiarly. She had a bad feeling overwhelm her and believed something was amise about the guy the way Li talked about him. To her surprise, Li seemed different when he mentioned the guy.

--

Hei tried to keep a straight face around Misaki, but after hearing her say she had bumped into Huang, he began to fear that he might have recognized her, and tell the Syndicate that he had located her. He began to think of what to do, not only to protect his new roommate, but how he was going to stay alive and get the Syndicate to somehow back off her.

The day was still young, and it was going to take it's time growing old.

_--_

_To be continued in next Chapter._

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story, especially those who alerted it. This is my favorite chapter. PLease comment and let me know if you like it as much as I do. _

__

Japanese translations:

Baka – Idiot

Nani – What?

Hai – Yes

arigatou - Thank you


	4. Big Trouble in a Little Apartment

A Heart is not Black

Chapter 4: Big Trouble in a Little Apartment

--

Li and Misaki arrived at the restaurant with Li opening the door for Misaki. She blushed while bowing her thanks, as Rika greeted them.

"The usual, Li-san?"

"Hai?"

"The same for you, Miss?"

"Hai," replied Misaki, as Li looked over at her surprised to see she had been here before.

They sat down at a table in front of the television that was broadcasting a baseball game. The pitcher was sweating bullets as a bulky man stood up to bat. He stood still, frozen with fear, and caused the fans to scream at him. The pitcher threw the ball recklessly, which allowed the bulky man to knock the ball out of the park.

Li and Misaki smiled at each other, which made them gaze away from each other, and blush. Misaki could feel her heart pounding abnormally, and hoped Li couldn't hear it thumping against her smothering chest.

"Eh, so, do you like this place?" asked Li, trying to break the silence between them.

"Hai, their cooking is really good," shrilled Misaki.

"I agree, although the only thing that bugs me about this place is some girl who always has to watch me eat whenever I'm here."

"You have a stalker, Li-kun?" Misaki's restless composure vanished. "Why don't you report it to the local police?"

"Eh, it's quite all right. She hasn't done anything too serious."

"Too serious?"

Rika interrupted their discussion, as she brought out their food. She set five bowls of noodles in front of Li, who started to devour them, and a couple next to Misaki. Minutes later Misaki looked at the twenty empty bowls of noodles in amazement. She knew she ate a lot, but he was like a trash compactor. If he were a Contractor, she would have sworn that that was his obeisance. She was then interrupted as her phone rang.

She rampaged through her purse, pulled out her phone to place it next to her right ear, and said, "Kirihara desu."

"_Chief, its Saitou_," his voice echoed through the speaker. "_We have a situation at Hiro-o Plaza, and we need you here."_

"Hai, I'll be right there." Misaki closed her phone and returned it to her purse. "Sorry Li-kun, I have to go."

"Was that your partner, Saitou?" asked Li.

"Hai"

"Eh, would you like me to accompany you to where you have to go?"

She didn't want to be alone right now, thinking that BK-201 could strike at any time, but it would be against protocol and it wouldn't be right to bring Li to a crime scene.

"I'll be alright, Li-kun," she replied. "I don't think he'll attack with a lot of people around." Misaki scrounged in her purse, pulled out a few ten thousand yens, and held it out to Li. "Here, for my share."

Li looked at it for a second, but then smiled at her and said, "Don't worry about it, Kirihara-san, I got it."

"But, I would feel bad if you paid for my own meal."

"It's all right, you have enough to worry about."

"A—ah, thanks, Li-kun, I'll see you later."

"Please be careful, Kirihara-san."

She smiled at him as she stood while throwing her purse over her shoulder and walked towards the door.

"Thanks for coming!" said Rika, as Misaki walked out the door.

She frowned at her job for interrupting her meal with Li and hastened to the nearest station. She turned a corner and some young girl with pink ponytails dressed up as a cosplayer plowed into her. They fell backwards and landed on their bottoms.

"Ouch!" shouted the young girl. "Hey, obasan, watch where you're going!"

She stood from the ground and ran off. Misaki sat quietly as she stared off into nothing and muttered, "O—obasan? I—I don't look old, do I? I need to ask Li-kun."

Misaki stood and entered the nearest subway to get on a train that took her to connecting subways for Hiro-o Plaza. She stepped from the Ebisu train, walked to her right to ascend the stairs, and exited the subway to see a McDoness restaurant nearby. If she hadn't eaten at the ramen store, she would have barged into the fast food store and ordered a quarter-pounder.

She arrived at the Plaza moments later to see Saitou standing near the entrance of the strip mall.

"Chief!" he shouted and waved her towards him.

Misaki walked over to him and stared at a body lying sprawled and on his back surrounded by blood that had seeped out of a hole in his chest.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We got a call from Kanami saying GC-704 was active this morning around here. The Dolls were able to locate him here. People walking by had said they saw the Contractor taking what looked like a small box."

"There were witnesses?" asked Misaki knowing in a few hours those witnesses would have their memories wiped of seeing the Contractors.

"Hai," replied Saitou, he too also knowing what would happen to them later.

"Do we know where he went?"

"No."

"Hey, Saitou…" muttered Misaki, not looking at him. "I… I don't… look old, do I?"

Saitou stared at her lost for words.

--

One o'clock was drawing near, as Hei sat on a bench in his tank top on a scorching day near the Hiro-o plaza, and waited for his contact to arrive for one and a half hours now. Hei wondered if the Syndicate had given him a phony assignment for not killing Misaki. Moments later a heavyset guy approached Hei holding a small-sized box. He sat down, trying to look inconspicuous, and placed the box on the bench between them.

"Hei, you are to take this to Shinjuku before four o'clock. The address is inside the box," said the man.

"To whom do I hand it to?" asked Hei.

"You'll know."

The heavyset guy stood to leave.

Hei picked up the box to look at it peculiarly, and then clenched his teeth in frustration that the Syndicate thought of him as a delivery boy. His rage ignited in him, as he imagined throwing his blade and impaling it in the heavyset man's back.

"Li-kun!" said a feminine voice he recognized from across the street. Hei looked over to see Misaki jaywalking towards him, causing him to jolt in shock and almost have a heart attack.

"Kirihara-san?" he asked surprised, and then he said to himself, _what is she doing here?_

She jogged over to him, waving with her hand for motorist to stop, but they gave their reply with screeching tires, improper words, and inappropriate hand gestures.

"What are you doing here?" Misaki asked.

"Eh, well…" Hei tried to think of something.

"Ore, what's in that box?"

"Eh, oh this!" replied Hei, as he held it before her. "Eh, nothing really important, just some stuff I had to special order for a project at school."

"Really?"

"Hai."

Without any warning Hei's stomach let out a bass sound growl.

Misaki looked at him as her eyelids blinked surprisingly, but she then started to giggle.

"I forgot how loud your stomach can growl," she chuckled. "I take it you haven't gotten anything to eat yet?"

"No," replied Hei. "I was about to though."

"I haven't eaten either. There's a McDoness just up the street. How about we get something there to eat before heading back to your place?"

"Eh, you're still in danger, Kirihara-san?" Hei asked.

"Hai, I thought you knew it was probably going to be awhile before I could move back into my own place?"

"Eh, well, I thought that that call you had gotten had been about the person who was—_is_—after you," Hei played dumb.

"Sorry, Li-kun, but it was about something else. If it's too much of an inconvenience for you, I'll find somewhere else to stay?"

"No, it's all right," said Hei, as he looked up and smiled at her. _Hai, it is! I have a package I have to take care of, but how am I suppose to deliver it with you around me twenty-four seven? And not only that, I'm the one who is supposed to kill you!_

--

Misaki and Li sat next to each other on the train back to Li's place. Misaki kept looking at the package that was in Li's lap, as she wondered what was inside it. She then caught a glimpse of an anime poster that reminded her of that pink haired girl she had bumped into earlier.

"Hey, Li-kun, I don't look old to you, do I?"

Li looked at her with the same blank stare that Saitou had given her.

"No, Kirihara-san," he finally replied.

Li's formal address to her didn't make her feel any better. She was beginning to think Kanami was right about her work stressing her out and giving her wrinkles.

"Please call me Misaki,"

Li nodded in agreement when suddenly the power went out, as the train came to a stop, startling everyone on the train while they sat in the dark.

"Oh no, he found me," said Misaki, as her eyes widened in fear. "Li-kun, we need to get off here now, or all these people will die."

"It's just a power outage, Misaki-san," began Li looking at Misaki puzzled. "They'll have power back up in no time."

Misaki wanted to believe him, but the fact remained that BK-201's ability was electricity, and he could easily knock out the power. She grabbed her purse and placed her hand on her gun at the ready.

About fifteen minutes later Misaki heard a clunk sound and pulled her gun out of her purse to aim it in the direction of the noise. The emergency power kicked on and she found herself pointing her gun at a train conductor who had walked through the door. He threw his hands up in the air and quivered in fear that Misaki was going to shoot him.

"Sorry…" Misaki started to say.

"She's got a gun!" a man screamed beside her.

"No, no, I'm a pol…" she began to say, as she reached into her purse to pull out her badge, but everyone screamed in panic. They jumped up from their seats and began running to the other car, bumping into Misaki, and causing her to drop her purse and gun on the ground as she fell on her bottom.

Li got up from his seat to help her up, but as he reached his hand out to her, someone batted his back with a backpack, which caused him to fling his package while landing on top of Misaki with his lips touching hers. Misaki was startled as she opened her eyes to see his eyes gazing into hers. Her blood ran warmer than usual, causing her cheeks to redden, as she found herself wanting to give into the kiss. She could feel Li wanting the same, but he instead fought with his desires, and quickly drew away.

"S—sorry," he said embarrassed while avoiding her eyes. "I—I'm s—sorry. Y—you all—all right, Misaki-san?"

Misaki sat looking up in a daze at Li. He felt sorry for kissing her, but he didn't need to be since it was an accident, and she was glad that it had happened. She thought Li did as well, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Mi—Misaki…san?"

Misaki snapped out of her daze and said, "Hai, I'm all right."

Li let out of a breath of relief and helped Misaki stand. She felt goosebumps creep up her arms and send chills down her spine from his touch. She stared into his eyes, wanting to kiss him again, but she reframed from doing it due to Li's uncertainty.

"I will not let you terrorist take over my country!" shouted a man from behind Li.

A middle-aged guy with short black hair came running at Li and Misaki and swung an umbrella at them. Li went to go stop him, but he clumsily tripped over his own feet and fell towards the man to grab the umbrella, and he somehow yanked it out of the attacker's hands as he flopped on the ground. Li stood as he tried to apologize to the middle-age guy, but the middle-age guy ignored it while he ran over to grab his umbrella to swing it at Li again.

Misaki feared for Li's safety, causing her to shout, "Look out!"

Unfortunately Li didn't hear her since his attention was focused on the dirt on his pants, and ducked under the umbrella to brush it off. Li straighten up to see the middle-age man swing his umbrella downwards, which freaked him out and tripped backwards on his own two feet, missing the point of the umbrella by centimeters.

The man looked at Li frustrated and began to attack again, as Li's eyes widened while he rashly waved his hands.

"Please… calm down, she… is a …Poli…" he began to say but found himself frantically squirming along the floor, avoiding the umbrella as the man swung it down between his legs.

Misaki couldn't believe Li's awkward luck. Suddenly something caught the corner of Misaki's right eye, and noticed Li's box lying on the floor. Curious of what the box contained in it, she hurried over to it, and picked it up. She started to open the lid, but the box was knocked out of her hands due to Li swatting it with his arm, as he tried to avoid one of the man's attacks. Misaki sighed in frustration as she rushed over to box, and tried to pick it up again, but the train started moving again, causing Misaki to fall back and land on the floor. Before she could get back up the train came to a sudden stop again, causing Li to fall forward and land on top of her. Their noses were a centimeter apart due to his arms outstretch beside Misaki to break his fall. The train's sudden stop had caused the middle-aged guy to lose his balance, and tripped over Li to fall and hit his head on one of the seats, knocking him out.

Li didn't move while he stared in Misaki's eyes, as Misaki laid silent looking into his. She could feel her heart beating ten times faster than normal, as neither of them moved. Moments later the train doors opened, snapping them out of their daze, and they looked to their right at the flabbergasted commuters. A woman standing next to her son ended up covering his eyes with her hands.

They stood up; their cheeks beat red, and looked down at the ground blushing.

"Sorry, Misaki-san," Li apologized again whiling glancing over at her.

"It's alright, Li-kun. It wasn't your fault," she replied while still blushing.

Li walked over to pick up his box, and then noticed Misaki's purse and gun. He walked over to pick them up, and headed back over to Misaki to hand them to her.

"I don't know about you, Misaki-san, but I feel like walking the rest of the way back, if that's alright with you?"

"Hai," replied Misaki. "Please just call me, Misaki."

Li nodded in reply as they exited the train and headed up the stairs.

--

Night was falling over Tokyo, as they finally reached his apartment and ascended the stairs. Li stopped a meter away from his front door, causing Misaki to bump into him.

"That's strange?" questioned Li. "Misaki, you didn't forget to close and lock my door, did you?"

"No, I made sure I did," replied Misaki, as she noticed his door was cracked open. A bad feeling overwhelmed her and feared the man who was supposed to kill her had found where she was staying.

"Oh well. It's probably my landlady."

Li went to go open the door, but Misaki grabbed his arm to hold him back, which caused him to look at her baffled.

"No, Li-kun, don't open the door," pleaded Misaki. "I don't think it's your landlady, but the person who is after me."

"Eh, are you serious?"

"Hai, I need to call… oh no! I forgot to charge my battery for my phone last night! Now I can't call for back up. How unprofessional I have been!"

"Misaki, stay here, I'll take care of the intruder," said Li to Misaki, trying to show a braver side to him, but she could still see the uncertainty he had bestowed back at Alice's party.

"Li-kun, I can't…"

"If it is him, I'll buy you enough time to run for help."

"But he'll kill you!" screamed Misaki.

He looked back at her with his surprised stare, but then smiled as he always did.

"Eh, yeah, maybe, but I've had my dealings with break-ins before," said Li. "Don't worry, Misaki, I'll be all right."

"But, Li-kun, you don't know how dangerous he…"

Li opened the door and slowly started to walk in, but Misaki held him up, as she grabbed her gun out of her purse and gestured for Li to take it.

"Eh?" Li blinked at her lost for words.

"Please, I'd feel better if you had this."

"But I don't know how to use one."

"Just point it at the intruder and pull the trigger."

Li set his box on the ground, took the gun clumsily from Misaki, and stared down the barrel of the gun.

"Hey, don't aim it at your head! You could accidentally shoot yourself!" Misaki yelled quietly.

"Eh?" he said startled. "Really?"

"Hai!"

Li frowned as he pointed the gun in front of him, holding it awkwardly with his left hand, which Misaki believed he was right-handed, and slowly opened the door. A man in a suit with short blonde hair stood at his window balcony.

Li hesitated and then tried to pull the trigger, but nothing happened. Misaki swore at herself for forgetting to do the stupidest thing in her career.

"It would help if you were to take off the safety," said the man.

"Eh, safety?" questioned Li, as he started looking for the switch.

Misaki recognized the voice. She heard a clicking sound, which told her that Li had found the safety switch. Suddenly Misaki frowned as Li pointed it back at the intruder and fired, missing him by centimeters as the bullet impaled the wall. The intruder blinked from it wordlessly.

"Wait, don't fire, Li-kun, I know him!" shouted Misaki, as she quickly pushed his arm down.

"Eh, you know him?" Li asked.

"Hai, he's all right."

Li looked at her baffled, but nodded and handed back her gun.

"What do you want, Mr. Simon?" she asked November Eleven.

"I came here to see the man who stole your heart, Misaki," replied November.

"Na, na, nani?" Misaki asked shocked while glancing at the ground with reddened cheeks.

"Just joking, I'm here to see you, Misaki," he replied calmly.

"How did you know where to find me? Was it Saitou?"

"No, he wouldn't tell me. July found you. Misaki, it seems we are connected to the same case."

"What?"

"Is there somewhere else we can talk?"

"Hai, there's a park…."

"You can stay here, if you like," interrupted Li. He held out his hand to shack Jack's. "I'm Li Shengshun, nice to meet you."

"Jack Simon."

Li tilted his head and smiled at November Eleven. "I'll just wait outside." He lowered his hand and turned around to walk out of the room. Misaki stared at him baffled for leaving since this was his home.

--

Hei's jaw line tightened from seeing the MI-6 agent in his home. He thought about putting a bullet between his eyes for killing Havac, but he reframed from doing such a thing with Misaki present.

"I see you have a full house, Hei," spoke up Mao who was standing on the rail at the far end.

Hei had noticed him outside on a rooftop looking through his kitchen window and gesturing for him to come out. Hei descended the stairs with Mao jumping down to the ground, and followed him towards the street.

"What is it, Mao?" he asked as he hoped that Yin was spying on the other two's conversation.

"The Syndicate knows that that police woman is here. They've put out a hit on you both. They're sending in GC-704 and HD-109."

"Huang tipped them off?"

"Hai. He asked Yin to confirm it. I tried to tell him that Kirihara didn't see your face, but he said it was already too late. Yin was concerned and came here to help."

"Why are you telling me, Mao?"

"Because you never seem to bore me, Hei," smirked Mao.

Hei looked at Mao stunned by his words, but then quickly started to ponder on a way to protect Misaki without blowing his cover.

--

Misaki stood in front of November Eleven waiting for him to explain himself.

"Who is he, Misaki?"

"Just a friend."

"Saitou said that Mr. 201-BK is trying to kill you. How do you expect a skinny little boy, who doesn't know what a safety switch is, to possibly be able to protect you?"

"Well it's not that I expect him to defeat BK-201, I just don't think he'll be able to find me here."

"If I can find you, I'm sure Mr. 201-BK can."

Misaki looked up at November Eleven as her eyes trembled with fear.

"Misaki, Mr. 201-BK stole a very valuable item from MI-6 that night, and I need your help on retrieving it."

"You want to use me as bait to capture BK-201?"

"Hai, when he comes out to kill you again, I'll be here this time so we can capture him and make him tell us where the..." November quickly stopped and looked towards the kitchen sink.

"What's wrong?" asked Misaki.

"It appears our friend has already found you."

"What?"

"An observer spirit," replied November Eleven as the power went out.

"How—how did he know to find me here?" asked Misaki. "Oh no, I've put Li's life in danger."

Misaki started to run out the door hoping her friend was still all right.

"Misaki, NO!" November Eleven yelled.

Misaki bolted out of the apartment and looked around for Li. Not seeing him she shouted out his name as she started to run down the stairs, but noticed a trail of blood and began to worry that her friend might have been killed.

"Li… Li-kun. I killed him," Misaki muttered to herself, as she sat down on the stairs and started shaking her head in disbelief with tears pouring from her eyes.

November Eleven approached her and put his hands on her shoulders to say, "Misaki, pull it together, you need to be …"

A muffled banging could be heard back in Li's apartment. November Eleven and Misaki looked at each other, and then they quickly ran back into the room with November Eleven in the lead, as he held up his arm to prevent Misaki from entering. They were both overtook by shock, as they stood before a man wearing a white mask with a purple lightning bolt across the right eye, and dressed in a long black coat.

"BK…2…0…1!" Misaki said with fear running through her body, but overcame it as she yelled out, "Where's my friend. Give him back to me, give me back Li-kun now!"

The Black Reaper just stood there in silence, as November Eleven quickly reached over to turn on the kitchen faucet, and created a few icicles to throw them at BK-201. BK-201 dodged to his left, then to his right, and ducked under the last one. He took out his cable and flung it towards November Eleven, but November Eleven grabbed it with his left hand. BK-201 flowed electricity through the wire, but it had no effect on November Eleven. BK-201 looked up at him puzzled as November Eleven raised his hands to show that he had on tan colored thin rubber gloves.

"Those little tricks won't work on me. Didn't I tell you the Japanese were great?" said November Eleven, as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette lighting it. "Misaki, get out of here, I can take care of him."

"But, November…"

"Don't worry about me," November Eleven said while glancing at her with a smile. "I won't let him lay a knife on me."

Misaki looked at November Eleven concerned, but nodded her head in reply, and left through the front door.

"Now, where were..." November Eleven started to say, but noticed that BK-201 was no longer in the room. He ran quickly out the front door, looked around for Misaki, and noticed that she was nowhere in sight.

_I should have seen that coming. _He thought_. He's too quick. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off him. This is exactly what he wanted._

November Eleven ran down the stairs and walked along the street, as he pulled out his phone and started dialing a number. He placed it to his ear, but he quickly closed it as he found himself standing before another man. He had long black hair that was dyed red in the front, a snug red shirt, and black holey blue jeans with a chain hanging on the side.

November Eleven stared into the man's narrowed brown eyes.

"I guess you're not out for an evening stroll," said November Eleven, breaking the silence.

"Neither are you," replied the black-haired man. "I see you beat me to the prey. I was hoping to climb up the stats with that kill." November Eleven stared down the black-haired man, as he hid his surprised expression. "Did you kill the target?"

November Eleven's mind tried to comprehend the information, and decided to play along so he could get more details.

"Hai," he replied.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to kill you instead."

November Eleven watched the man outline in blue and his eyes turned red, as a fireball appeared in the palm of the Contractor's hand. He lifted his arm up over his head and threw the fireball like a baseball towards November who dodged to his right.

"Is that all you got?" November Eleven said sarcastically.

The fireball man smiled and threw another fireball in which November Eleven quickly ducked, as it flew over his head. He then noticed the fireball turn around and head straight for him again. After avoiding countless attacks, November Eleven finally saw a puddle of water. He dodged his way over to it, created a couple of icicle stakes, and threw them at the black-haired Contractor. The fireball man easily dodged them, but then found it hard to move, as he looked down and realized his right foot was caught in a trail of ice. He threw a fireball towards his feet to try to melt the ice, but November Eleven froze the water just as quickly as the black-haired Contractor could melt it. He looked back up at November Eleven and started to throw his fireball at him again. November Eleven moved out of their path and threw another icicle to impale the fireball man's stomach. He looked down at it shocked and fell backwards onto the ground.

November Eleven walked up to the man with another icicle in his hand, stood over him, and placed the pointed end of the icicle onto the Contractor's heart.

"Who sent you?" he demanded. "Who sent you to kill Misaki and the boy?"

"Misaki and the boy?" the Contractor laughed. "I was sent to kill BK-201? Ha, it looks like my fight with you was meaningless."

November Eleven looked at the man shocked, as he pulled out his phone and started to dial a number again.

"_Moshi Moshi," _a voice replied on the other end.

"April, it's me. I need you to have July look for Misaki again."

"She's still at that guy's apartment," replied April a couple minutes later.

November Eleven quickly hung up the phone and started running back to the apartment. When he got there he hurried up the stairs, and was caught off guard as a cable wrapped around his neck. He grabbed the cable with his fingers and tried loosening it, while he followed it back to its owner to see the Black Reaper staring down at him from the roof. Electricity began to flow through the wire as November Eleven felt himself fall unconscious.

--

Misaki slowly opened her eyes, as she sat up and noticed she was back in Li's apartment.

_How did I get back here?_ She thought, as she placed her hands on her aching head. _Where's November Eleven?_

It was only then that she noticed her legs and arms had been tied up with a rope. A cloak blowing by the window caught her attention and saw the Black Reaper sitting on the sill watching her.

"Why don't you just kill me?" she yelled.

The Black Reaper didn't reply, as he kept his mask's dark eyes on her.

"Where's my friend? He has nothing to do with this," she continued. "Did you kill him?"

He still didn't reply, which irritated Misaki.

"Answer me!" she demanded.

The Black Reaper finally stood from the windowsill, walked over to Misaki, and reached out his hand to place it on her head. She began to quiver in fear as she readied for her demise. Her thoughts dwelled on Li, wondering if he was lying dead in an alley somewhere, and she cursed herself for his death. Misaki then wondered what lied beyond death. Was there really life after death, or would everything around go blank and there was nothing? If there were an afterlife, would Li be waiting to greet her with his heartwarming smile, or tell her he hated her?

BK-201 moved his hand down her face, as if he was going to choke her, but he instead removed her glasses and set them on the table. He walked back over to the windowsill and sat down. She was baffled at why he had removed her glasses, but then she realized that he had figured out she had not seen his face entirely that day since she had lost her glasses. Misaki felt a ton of weight lift off her chest, as she believed BK-201 wasn't going to kill her, and surmised he had not killed Li. Nevertheless, why was he here?

A few minutes later Misaki was surprised to see BK-201 stand again, grab the balcony railing, and jump over and out the window. She began to wonder why he had left. She carefully stood and hopped over to Li's kitchenette, grabbed one of his knives with her mouth, and started to cut the rope around her wrists. After her hands were free she bent over and started to untie the rope around her legs.

Once she had gotten herself untied, she grabbed her glasses off the table and ran out the front door. She hurried down the stairs, hoping to catch BK-201, even though she knew he would be long gone, but she had to try. She rounded the apartment building, and stopped in shock that the Black Reaper was still present.

_Is he playing with me_? Misaki thought, as she stared at him, but then realized that BK-201 was not staring at her, but behind her. She slowly turned around to see another tall well-built man dressed in a black T-shirt and black leather pants, with short black hair and lightly tinted oval shaped sunglasses.

"This is going to be easier than I thought," the man said while smiling. "Prepare to die, Officer Kirihara!"

The well-built man outlined in blue, as his eyes highlighted in red, and raised his hand to point his finger at Misaki, firing a red laser beam at her. Misaki froze in fear, but unexpectedly a cable wrapped around her waist and then pulled her to the side, which caused her to fall on her bottom. The laser beam shot past to impale the wall and create a hole the size of a fist. BK-201 quickly retracted the wire and threw it again towards the tall Contractor. The tall man easily dodged to the right, and then fired another laser toward BK-201, missing him and hitting a car's gas tank behind him, causing the car to explode and knocking BK-201 forward onto the ground. He quickly recovered from the explosion's wake, and grabbed one of his knives to throw it at the Contractor who dodged it as easily as the last attack.

"You're too weak, BK-201," said the tall well-built man. "Someone as soft as you can't possibly take me down. I, GC-704, will be the Syndicate's favorite Contractor now. Get ready to die!"

GC-704 raised his hands and fired lasers from his index fingers. BK-201 ducked, jumped, and side stepped around the many attacks thrown at him. It seemed to Misaki that BK-201 was trying to keep the fight away from her, as the beams cut through walls, cars, lampposts, and portions of the ground. BK-201 grabbed one of his knives and threw it at GC-704. GC-704 dodged the attack, but he was taken by surprise, as a cable wrapped around his arm. Electricity quickly moved through the wire and into GC-704's body. He screamed out in pain, as his body shook vigorously and his eyes rolled into their sockets. His body fell backwards dead.

BK-201 glanced over at Misaki who sat on the ground where she had been thrown. She found herself paralyzed as her eyes quivered in fear. Sirens could be heard in the background, making BK-201 look in its direction, and then run off around a corner. Misaki quickly stood and ran after him, but as she turned the corner all she saw was November Eleven approaching her looking fatigued.

"November Eleven?" question Misaki surprisingly. She shook off her startled expression, and then quickly asked, "Did you see which way he went?"

"Who?"

"BK-201," she replied. A bruise line around his neck startled her. "Are—are you all right? What happened?"

"It's nothing,"

Police cars pulled up to the scene, as Misaki watched Saitou and Kouno jump out of the car and run over to her.

"Chief, are you alright? Did BK-201 hurt you at all?" asked Saitou.

"What happened?" asked Kouno looking around at all the damage.

"I'll explain later. Right now we have to find BK-201. He should still be around here. Have everyone search the area."

"Where's Li-kun, is he alright?" asked Saitou.

Misaki stared up at Saitou speechless, as she remembered BK-201 had captured him too. She was so caught up in capturing BK-201 that she had forgotten about her friend.

"No, BK-201 grabbed him," she finally said. "Saitou, we need to find him. It's possible he's alive somewhere in the apartment building. Follow me."

Saitou and November Eleven followed Misaki around the apartment complex and up the stairs toward Li's room. Saitou became worried from the trail of blood on the stairs, and grabbed Misaki's arm before she entered the room.

"Please, Misaki, allow me," he said as he grabbed his gun. He opened the door slowly and proceeded into the room, pointing the gun around it. "It's clear!"

Misaki and November Eleven entered the room to look around as well. Misaki felt a guilty conscious surface in her stomach. Whenever Li was around her he was in constant danger. He had been in danger at Alice's party because of her, lost his job not too long ago from her bumping into him, and now she was afraid she had gotten him killed.

Suddenly a banging noise caught her attention, along with her partners and November Eleven, and she realized it was coming from the closet. Saitou walked over to it with his gun at the ready, and opened it to have a tied up Li fall flat on his face. A cable line was tightly wrapped around his entire body and a duck tape strip sealing his lips shut.

"Li-kun!" Misaki shouted. She kneeled next to him and quickly ripped off the duck tape. Li cringed from the pain. "You alright?"

"Hai," replied Li.

Misaki looked back at Saitou and asked, "Do you have your pocket knife on you?"

"Hai," said Saitou, and pulled it out to hand it to Misaki.

Misaki began to cut the cable, as Saitou and Kouno started to remove it. November Eleven stood back as he glared at Li suspiciously while lighting up another cigarette.

"What happened, Li-kun?" asked Saitou.

"I'm not really sure," said Li. "One minute I was outside leaning up against the rail, and the next I was all tied up in my closet. I guess that man who was trying to kill you found us. I'm so glad to see you're alright." Li looked over at November Eleven and noticed the bruise around his neck. "Simon-san, you're hurt?"

"It's nothing," replied November Eleven.

"What happened?"

"That's what I would like to know," muttered Saitou.

"Li-kun, you're hurt," said Misaki, as she looked at Li's arm that had a few cuts on it. "Let's have one of the medics look at your arm."

--

The next morning Hei walked down the street to the ramen restaurant while he thought about last night's incident_. _He was pleased with pride to see November Eleven's bruises around his neck from his wire, but he had to hold his smile back and not give away his identity.

Hei had forced Mao to cut his arm to leave a trail of his blood in order to get Misaki and November Eleven away from his apartment. In doing so he was able to take care of one of the Contractors, as the MI-6 agent took care of the other. While Misaki and November Eleven's minds were lost in what was going on, Hei had Yin help him tie his cable around him and duck tape his mouth, and place him in his closet. Yin had closed the door and climbed down the wire he had tied to his balcony.

Hei reached the park near the store to see Rika feeding Mao near the slide again.

"Rika, I need your help inside!" called out her father.

"Bye, bye, Hernandez," said Rika to Mao in English.

She turned around and waved at Hei while smiling at him as she went back to work.

"You're one lucky Contractor," said Mao to Hei.

"What do you mean, Hernandez?" Hei asked, causing Mao to glare devilishly at Hei from the uncanny name.

"The Syndicate pulled the attack off on you and that Police woman."

"What? Why?"

"All I know is someone was very upset about the hit put out on The Section-Chief of the Foreign Affairs, especially when they found out that she didn't even see your face. They had said they don't want to stir up any more trouble with them. I personally think that they're scared you'll keep killing off all their Contractors."

Hei smiled with relief at Mao.

"Don't get too comfortable Hei," continued Mao, "you're not out of the dog house yet. The Syndicate doesn't plan to let you're actions go unpunished, especially since you didn't deliver the item yesterday. You can plan on many more babysitting jobs for awhile."

Hei didn't seem to be worried about Mao's comment. He was quite relieved to hear that the Syndicate had pulled the hit off Misaki. He turned and walked away from Mao, who continued eating his food, and entered the restaurant to get something to eat. He then began to think of the accidental kiss he had with Misaki, as he placed his finger on his lip. How warm and soft her lips felt on his. It was a sensation he had not felt since before the Heaven's Gate's incident and wondered why he, a Contractor, had had them now.

--

The next morning Misaki and Saitou were sitting at their desk filling out their reports of last night's events. Misaki was relieved to be alive after last night's ordeal. She felt that she should be down in the basement on the autopsy table with the Contractors. She used to criticize herself for being so blind without glasses, but if it weren't for that she'd be dead.

The elevator opened to reveal November Eleven entering the department. He removed his sunglasses as he approached Misaki.

"Good morning, November Eleven," said Misaki, as he stepped before her. "What brings you by?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions, Misaki?" asked November Eleven.

Misaki stared at him baffled and wished sometimes that he wasn't a Contractor so she could read his expression. She looked over at Saitou and said to him, "Can you give us a moment?"

Saitou nodded and stood to leave.

"You can stay as well, Detective Yuusuke," said November Eleven. "This concerns you too."

Misaki and Saitou looked at him puzzled, as Saitou returned to his seat.

"Something's been bothering me about last night," continued November Eleven, "and I couldn't quiet place it until I was able to sleep on it last night." Misaki and Saitou still looked at him confused. "How long have you known Li?"

"For a little while now, why?" replied Misaki.

"Well, don't you find it convenient that BK-201 showed up just after Li suggested we stay in his apartment while he left the room, Misaki?"

Misaki and Saitou stared up at him dumbfounded. "Nani?"

"Have you ever thought Li could be BK-201?"

Misaki and Saitou looked at November shocked, but then burst out into laughter.

"Li-kun, BK-201?" Misaki replied while still laughing. "If there's one person BK-201 is not, that is Li-kun. Li's too sweet, honest, and clumsy to be an assassin. Besides, Li-kun was all tied up in a closet, how can someone do that to himself."

"Then can you explain why BK-201 did not kill you?"

"Hai, there was no reason to kill me. He knew that I didn't see his face."

"Since when does a Contractor need a reason to kill someone?"

Misaki looked at November Eleven stunned by his comment. She knew he was right. She had pondered on these questions herself. Why did BK-201 hesitate? He's the most fearsome Contractor, but it would seem like he does not kill without a reason.

"Why was BK-201 there anyway if he didn't come to kill you?" continued November.

"I don't know?" replied Misaki.

"I'll tell you why. He was there to protect you."

"Protect me! From what, himself?" Misaki acted surprised as she thought about the battle in her apartment with LM-105. This was not the first time BK-201 had saved her.

"I had a little battle with a Contractor just after we got separated. He didn't come to kill you or Li. He told me he was sent to kill BK-201, which I find strange that he would be looking for him at that young man's apartment. When I heard that BK-201 did not kill you again after all that time he was with you, I knew something was wrong, and then you tell me about BK-201's fight with GC-704. It occurred to me that a hit was put out on you and BK-201. BK-201 planned to have me fight HD-109 while he took out GC-704, so that neither of them could attack you. It was unfortunate that they didn't arrive at the same time. And after I finished my fight, BK-201 knocked me out."

"Why would they send one of their own to kill BK-201?" asked Saitou.

"Because he didn't kill Misaki, which leads me back to my first question, why?

"He might have felt guilty for trying to kill her," replied Saitou.

"Contractors don't act on guilt. But then again, I always thought there was something special about him," said November Eleven.

Misaki and Saitou looked at him speechless.

"Misaki, be careful. If you get in his way again, he will kill you. Even if he's Li."

Misaki stood and pondered on November Eleven's words as he walked out of the office. _BK-201: the Black Reaper. He is a man of mystery and death. Could he really be Li? No, Li can't be. Then who is he, who does he work for, and why did he protect her?_

"Ah, I'm giving myself a headache with all these questions floating in my head!" Misaki said accidentally aloud.

"Chief?" questioned Saitou startled.

"Never mind," she responded while looking away with her lips pursed.

--

_To be continued..._

A/N: I realized while writing this chapter that I'm good at keeping Hei in character, but i have a hard time with keeping Li in character. So a big THANK YOU goes out to Sakabatou77 for helping me with Li-kun. :)

Hope you enjoyed it! :)

Japanese translations:

Baka – Idiot

Nani – What?

Hai – Yes

Moshi Moshi – Hello

arigatou - Thank you

obason - old lady


	5. Li's New Stalker

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter 5: Li's New Stalker

Misaki sat at her office desk with a bean bun staling, and an unscrewed soda pop in front of her, as she pondered on what November Eleven had said earlier in the day about Li being BK-201. It couldn't be true due to the fact that they were two different people. BK-201 was a heartless and skillful assassin that struck fear into her whenever she looked at him, and Li was a clumsy and sweet-kindhearted person who makes her feel happy, even when she's depressed.

_So why am I comparing the two now_, she thought.

He had been at Wang Shaotang's Hotel and disappeared before BK-201 showed up. He was also working at the restaurant that was holding the stone, and then he had disappeared again when they were attacked at Li's house. Now that she thought about it they do have the same hairstyle, and their bodies were built the same. Her mind was swarming with so many things she needed to see Li to confirm if November Eleven was right, and she hoped he wasn't.

Misaki stood while grabbing her keys, and ran towards the elevator, plowing into Kouno in which he spilled his tea and stained his clothes. He cursed and asked Misaki what was the deal, but she ignored him as she reached the elevator and pressed the down button. She anxiously waited for the elevator with her arms crossed and her left foot rapping continuously on the floor. When the doors opened she hurried in, bumping into Matsumoto as he exited, causing him to drop his paperwork all over the elevator floor. He started to pick up the papers, but Misaki couldn't wait for him, and shoved him out by her foot, as she hit the close button.

---

"Wait, hold the elevator please!" asked Saitou, as he ran towards Misaki.

She ignored his plea and let the doors close as he reached it. He slammed his fists on it and contemplated where Misaki was going in a rush.

"What's her hurry," asked Matsumoto.

Saitou looked down at his partner and helped him up.

"Maybe she realized it was past lunchtime and split to get something to eat?" Kouno suggested, as he wiped the tea off with a napkin.

Saitou figured Kouno was right, but he noticed the bean bun on Misaki's desk next to her drink. It was not hunger troubling her, and he figured it might have something to do with BK-201.

---

It felt like an eternity for Misaki while she waited impatiently for the elevator to reach the garage floor. She was determined to find out the truth. However if she did, and Li was BK-201, could she arrest him? Not only that, how would she feel from his betrayal and lies? Misaki knew Contractors did such a thing, but Li? It hurt her to think such a thing.

_Misaki, be careful, if you get in his way again, he will kill you. Even if he's Li. _November Eleven's warning echoed through Misaki's mind. Misaki kept trying to convince herself that there's no way Li could be BK-201, but that would explain why BK-201 did not kill her.

Her attention was diverted from her thoughts when the elevator reached the garage floor. She praised for it finally reaching it, as the elevator doors opened. Misaki bolted from the sluggish elevator, and hastily headed over to where her car was parked. She opened the door and sat while closing the door. She fiddled to fit her keys in the ignition, started up the car, and put the shifter into reverse to quickly back out. She slammed it into first gear and pealed out of the parking garage. She turned on her siren to get the annoying road hogs out of her way, as she recklessly headed over to Li's apartment.

Misaki reached his apartment in record-breaking time, screeching the car to a stop, and stormed out of her car as it was still rocking. She dashed up to the second level and pounded on Li's door while screaming out his name. There was no answer. She continued her rapping and yelling, but Li didn't open the door or call out he was coming. Misaki was growing impatient. Moments later Li's Landlady came out to greet her.

"Are you looking for Li-san?" she shouted from the ground below.

"Hai," Misaki said, as she made her way down the stairs to talk with her. "Have you seen him?"

"I believe he said he was going to school this morning."

"Ah, thank you. Do you know what school he attends?"

"No, sorry"

"Do you know when he gets home?"

Li's Landlady narrowed her eyes at Misaki, as she pursed her lips, and placed her hands on her frail hips and said, "What are you, some kind of stalker? I'll call the police."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm a Police Officer," Misaki answered while pulling out her badge.

"Oh!" The Landlady's eyelids rose startled, but she relaxed them as she smiled. "He's such a good boy. One of the best tenants I've had in my lifetime. He hasn't done anything wrong, has he?"

"Oh, no, I'm just a friend," Misaki replied, glad to hear that she thought so highly of him.

"Oh, well, he's never home much. He's always at school or working. You're better off trying to reach him when he's sleeping."

"Thank you."

Misaki turned on her heels to return to her car.

"Oh," the Landlady began to say. Misaki glanced over her shoulder to see she was looking at her again, "I asked an officer before about this, but he hasn't done anything about it yet. I'm having some trouble with a certain black cat with a red collar. The animal control in this neighborhood is terrible."

Misaki stared at her with a blank expression. It irritated her when she had to act like a normal detective when the public mention to her about trivial things. The last thing she was worried about was some cat loitering in an apartment complex. Moreover, what was the harm of an animal hanging around here anyways?

"I'll see what I can do," replied Misaki, trying to keep a calm straight face.

She looked away frowning and babbled to herself that she wasn't animal control. She headed back over to her Porsche while figuring she might be able to reach Li at the ramen restaurant. Misaki settled into her car and headed over there. She arrived moments later, climbed out of her car, and entered the store to an aroma of noodles in the air and sizzling sounds of the food cooking in the back. A baseball game was showing on the television mounted to the wall. Rika walked up to her and bowed her greeting.

"Have you seen Li-kun?" Misaki asked after she returned the gesture.

"No, he's usually here sometime around lunch, but he hasn't been in today."

"Thank you, Rika."

Misaki turned to leave but her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten her bean bun.

"Oh, can I get you something to eat?" asked Rika.

Misaki wished she had eaten her bean bun so that she could continue searching for Li. Her stomach was demanding her to take a seat and relax for a while, especially since she kept running into dead ends. Maybe she would get lucky and run into Li here.

"Hai, the usual please," replied Misaki and took a seat.

As she waited for her meal her eyes kept on looking over at the front door to see if Li would walk through it. Unfortunately he didn't when Rika brought her food to her ten minutes later. Misaki sighed and began to silence her stomach's complaints. Her attention continued to glance at the door, praying he would enter. Every time she heard the door open, she got excited, but sighed when she saw no sign of his beautiful blue eyes, sweet smile, or handsomely groomed black hair.

After five bowls of ramen noodles, Misaki paid her bill, walked over to the door to exit it, and then was plowed over by a young girl with pink ponytails who busted into the restaurant like an eighteen-wheeler crashing through a billboard.

"Hey, Rika! Did I miss him?" she yelled.

Misaki slowly stood from the ground, cringing from the pain she experienced from being run over by a human Mini Coop, and noticed the same girl who had called her obasan. She was wearing some kind of black cat outfit, probably some kind of a cosplay getup, instead of that ridiculous pink uniform.

"No, you haven't missed him, Kiko," replied Rika. "He hasn't been here yet."

"Really!" Kiko replied while jumping for joy, her ponytails flopping like wings. "I'll just wait around then. Eh, baseball? Hey, Rika, how about you change the station to a station that's playing animes?"

"Kiko, this restaurant is called, 'Home Run House,' we only show baseball games!" replied Rika displeased.

"Eh, really? I didn't notice you only played that stuff."

"That's because you're too busy stalking Li-san."

Misaki's eyes widened for a second, but then narrowed them at Kiko, as she thought about going up to her and arresting her for stalking Li. She even contemplated on threatening her with a restraining order if she refused to stay away from him. Misaki refrained from bothering her since it would be a waste of her time, and she didn't want to hear that cosplayer girl calling her obasan. She was already lucky the girl didn't notice her since her mind was too deep in thought of seeing Li eating, which she couldn't blame her. Li was a handsome man.

Misaki left the restaurant and decided to walk over to the playground, knowing it wasn't too far, and hoped Li was there. As she reached it, the only people that were in the playground were the girl in the black gothic dress sitting on top of the slide, and that ugly fat man who was puffing on a cigarette. There was also a black cat sitting on the rounded bench with a red collar. Misaki believed it was the same cat Li's Landlady was talking about.

She pulled out a phone, dialed a number, and placed it to her right as she waited for a reply.

"_Animal control," _said a voice.

"This is Officer Kirihara Misaki. I am calling on behalf of an elderly woman who owns an apartment complex near a restaurant called Home Run House," said Misaki. "She has been having a problem with a certain black cat with a red collar, and I have located it in a park nearby. She has placed in a call to you before, and yet you haven't done anything. I'd advise your company do something about it, or I will charge your company with negligence. Is that understood?"

"_Hai, ma'am. We'll get someone on it right away."_

Misaki hung up the phone and gazed at the little park. She thought about waiting on the bench, but Misaki didn't want her clothes to stink, so she instead headed back to her car.

_What a waste of time,_ she thought.

----

Hei, wearing his white shirt and blue jeans with his hands in his pockets, approached the playground where Huang, Yin, and Mao were waiting for him. Mao was swishing his tail and looking franticly around but as he saw Hei approach he narrowed his eyes at him, indicating he was a little displeased concerning the police officer, while Huang had his arms crossed and his face burning red like it was going to explode. Yin sat quietly as she tuned in her hearing to listen.

"You're late again, Hei. What's the deal?" asked Huang angrily. "Why was that police woman just here looking for you?"

"That's why I'm late."

"What does she want?" asked Mao.

"I don't know. She's been searching for me all day. She probably wants to stay at my place again."

"Let's hope not," mumbled Mao.

"Find out what she wants and take care of it before tomorrow," Huang stated, steam now seeping from his ears, as he crushed his cigarette under his grinding teeth. "You should have taken care of her. She's going to make it difficult for you to carry out your mission tomorrow. If she does get in the way again, you will have to kill her! Understand?"

Hei's eyes narrowed harshly at him.

"What is the mission this time?" asked Mao, trying to change the subject.

Huang snorted at Mao for interrupting their argument and said, "He'll be working as a salesman at an electronics store in Akihabara. They believe the store is a hideout for an organization that has been stealing items from within the gate, and selling them to the highest bidder. They are also known to sell dolls there too. The Syndicate believes the group is hiding the items and dolls somewhere in the store. You are to look around for any clues. The Syndicate wants those items, and the members of the organization are to be terminated. Yin will have the address and pictures of your targets in a cigarette pack at the cigar shop tomorrow morning. Destroy it once you have memorized their faces."

"What time do I need to be there?"

"You're shift starts at noon, don't be late." Huang turned to leave the park. "Oh and you need to wear black pants and a red collared shirt."

Hei snorted at Huang's last statement, as he watched him walk around the corner. He didn't own any red shirts, which indicated he had to go to a local clothing store to get one. He hated shopping for particular wear. Hei liked throwing on whatever felt comfortable to him, like his green jacket he had forgot to put on this morning. He then started to think about Misaki as he sat on the round bench. Why was she searching for him? He had seen her at his apartment banging on his door and yelling his name, but her impatience told him that something was not right, and refrained from greeting her. Her mood seemed to change at the Home Run House, but he still got a bad feeling from her.

"I know it was best to tell you the other day concerning the Syndicate, Hei," said Mao, distracting Hei's thoughts. He looked over at him baffled at what Mao had meant. "You had asked me why the Syndicate was out to kill you, and I had said you never bore me. And you haven't yet."

Hei narrowed his eyes at the annoying cat and muttered, "When I walked in just a few minutes ago it looked like to me you were about to crap your own fur."

Mao frowned at him.

"I get a little worried for my own life sometimes, Hei," he stated.

Suddenly a mini van that had _Animal Control _written on the side, screeched to a halt in front of the park. Mao glanced over at it as two men dressed in tan overalls and wearing hats stepped from it. The driver, who was a little chubby, glared at Mao, and pointed at him as he said, "That's the black cat we're suppose to catch!"

Mao's body tensed, causing his fur to jump on end, as if Hei had shocked him, and muttered, "Oh crap, not good!"

He jumped off the bench and headed off in the opposite direction. The two pursued Mao, demanding the cat to stop, but he instead leaped over the fence. The driver frowned, and sluggishly out of breath ran around it while his skinny partner hopped over it, and tore his pants as he fell face first on the other side. His chubby partner checked to make sure he was fine, which he stated he was as he stood, and then they raised their fists in the air and ran after Mao while demanding him to stop running.

"So that's who Officer Kirihara had called," said Yin.

----

Misaki decided to stake out Li's apartment. She had gone back to the police department and she had asked Saitou if she could borrow his car. He had looked at her baffled and he had asked why. Misaki had stated she was following up on a lead, and she couldn't tell more. Saitou wanted to help her, but she had stated she didn't need it. He had frowned at her comment, but he had complied.

Misaki sat across the street from Li's apartment complex, waiting for him to come home. Misaki yawned unexpectedly, indicating to her that it was getting late. She decided to try tomorrow morning and headed home.

When she entered her apartment twenty minutes later, she set her alarm clock for four in the morning in hopes of getting an early drop on Li. She took a quick shower, dried off her body, and climbed into bed to get some sleep.

Misaki was startled by a noise coming from her balcony. She reached over and opened her nightstand's drawer to pull out her gun, stood from her futon, and quietly walked over to her balcony to see nothing was there.

She sighed and said, "Probably a stupid cat".

Misaki turned around and started to walk back to her long awaited bed, but she found her legs froze with fear, as she stared at a man in a black trench coat and a white mask.

"B…K…201?" She shook in fright, thinking he came to kill her again, but a thought crossed her mind and wondered why he would go to such lengths to save her in the first place. "What do you want?" she asked, as she pointed her gun at him. "Were you sent to kill me again?"

BK-201 approached her.

"Don't come any closer. I will shoot you."

Misaki blinked, giving BK-201 time to disappear in front of her, realizing he was behind her as he wrapped his arm around her neck, and pulled her body against his. Misaki began to fear that he was going to end her life this time, and struggled to free herself from his hold, but his grip was too strong.

Unexpectedly his head leaned forward next to her right ear and whispered into it, "You need to stop chasing stars, Misaki-san."

His voice was calm and soothing, causing Misaki's eyes to widen in shock as she recognized it. It couldn't be true. It was far from being true.

"I can't always be there to protect you." He released his hold on her, allowing Misaki to quickly turn around.

"Wait, Li-kun. Is that really you?"

BK-201 turned around and looked back at her, as he placed his hand on the railing, saying nothing, and then leaped over the balcony. Misaki ran over to it and looked over the edge to see he had disappeared before her eyes again.

"Li-kun. Was that really you?" she whispered to herself.

Misaki then heard a store alarm going off across the street. She sighed, as she closed her eyes while imagining that she was about to get a call to take care of a burglary. Misaki opened her eyes and noticed the store alarm was really her alarm clock buzzing to inform her it was four o'clock a.m. She must have been dreaming the event about BK-201.

_I need to find out the truth, _she thought.

----

The next morning, Hei stood in his kitchen cooking rice for breakfast, as he glanced out his window to his right, and stared at his newest stalker sitting in a beat-up brown car. He frowned to himself, wondering why this crap was always happening to him. Even though he knew it wasn't hers, he would most likely have betted his identity that Kirihara Misaki was sitting in the car. No doubt she was going to follow him all day.

_It is going to be a tough_ _day at work._ He thought.

After he finished eating fifteen bowls of fried rice, he showered to wash away the night stench, and then put on his black tank top along with his weapons holster, and black pants. He then threw on the new red shirt he had spent thirty minutes looking for; making sure it was baggy enough to conceal his weapons underneath. At about ten he grabbed a garbage bag full of trash and left his room. He walked down the stairs, and saw his Landlady holding a squeamish black cat at arms length with a big pot in the other.

Hei smiled at Mao for his grand adventure at not getting nabbed by Animal Control, and his continued failed attempts at avoiding his Landlady.

"Good Morning, Li-san," she said.

"Good morning, still having problems with blacky?" he replied

"Hai, I don't think the police are going to help me. Oh, I figured since you're Chinese you would like a little cat soup for dinner tonight. How about it?" she replied, as Mao hissed and squirmed more since he didn't want to be the gourmet.

"Oh, it seems like you understood?" questioned Misuzu. "Just kidding. How could a thing like you understand me?"

"I'm sorry, but I'll be working late today," he replied smiling.

Hei laid his trash in the container and walked off with his hands in his pant pockets, Mao clawed and scratched at his captor, freed himself, and ran off. Misuzu screamed in frustration while swinging her pot in the air.

---

Misaki got out of the car and started to follow Li down the street. She paced herself at a safe distance; wearing huge white-rimmed sunglasses that made her look like she had bug-eyes, and her out-on-the-town clothes. Li stopped in front of a Tobacco Store and talked with the cashier. Moments later she slipped him a pack of cigarettes.

_I didn't know Li-kun smoked. I've never smelt it on him_, she thought to herself, as her image of the perfect guy just went out the window.

Misaki was even more surprised to see the young girl in the black gothic dress was attending the small store. She followed him into the subway and onto the train, taking another car compartment so Li wouldn't notice her, and got off at Akihabara as he did. Misaki continued stalking Li, walking past tall buildings and trying to keep sight of him in the crowded streets. Misaki stayed close behind him as he turned right around a corner and barely saw him enter an electronics store.

The store was small and it sat on a corner of the street. The front entrance had no door, giving it the feeling it was part of the outside, and a drug store next to it with apartments above. Inside the store, there were only four short isles of racks filled with the latest DVD players, cameras, televisions, and cell phones. The cashier counter was located to the right and there was a set of three doors in the back. The left side door led to the store's toilet, and the other two had an _Employees Only _sign. Stairs were located to the right that led up to office spaces.

Misaki lost sight of Li when he walked through the left door, but he returned moments later with a name badge clipped to his shirt. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, as Misaki pretended to look at televisions and cell phones while keeping an eye on Li, as he stocked shelves and waited on customers.

"Can I help you, Miss?" a plump salesman asked.

"No, I'm fine," she replied.

Misaki continued watching Li. He smiled pleasantly at customers while bowing to welcome them, and showed the store's latest models. A few customers decided to purchase the items he showed them, but others merrily waved no thanks and left. As they departed the store Li bowed his thanks for coming. It seemed awkward that someone as kind as Li could be the most fearsome Contractor.

The manager of the store was also present on the floor. He was slightly bulky with short black hair and had on tan khaki pants with a red shirt. Misaki watched him keeping a keen eye on Li, and glanced at her a few times. Two hours into stalking Li, the manager noticed Misaki was still around and approached her, saying, "I'm sorry, miss, but we can't permit you to watch Pokimon and Soul Eater in our store. Can I offer you one of these televisions to buy so you can take it home and watch your favorite shows there?"

Misaki frowned at him. She thought of showing her badge and state she was following a suspect, but she reframed from exposing herself and headed for the front entrance. As she drew close to it, a loud rumbling sound echoed through the store, causing Misaki's eyes to widen and slowly turn to stare at an embarrassed Li holding his stomach. His stomach growled again, making the customers, employees, and the manager stare at him perplexed. The manager frowned and walked over to Li.

"Hey, was that your stomach?" he asked.

"Hai," Li nodded, his cheeks redder than an apple.

"Did you even eat anything before coming here?"

"Hai. Fifteen bowls of rice."

"Fifteen and you're still starving? Holy mother… Go get something from the machine in the break room! In fact, buy every single thing in there!"

"Hai," bowed Hei, and walked through the left room.

Misaki smirked at his bottomless pit, and wondered how someone like him that ate like a horse was BK-201. Although, now that she thought about it, it might be his obeisance. However, if he was BK-201, he didn't use his power so it couldn't be. She exited the store, and jaywalked to take a seat on a bench so she could keep an eye on him.

----

As the plump salesman waited on a customer, Hei's manager ascended the flight of stairs to enter one of the office spaces. Hei felt the moment was right to try and look around for Hell's Gate items, and headed to the backdoors. He stepped through the middle door, entered a small and dank hallway, and quickly walked towards a large storage area twice the size of their showroom. He cursed to see a few other employees stocking shelves. He tried to make himself look like he was trying to find something for a customer, as he started searching through a ton of boxes.

As he opened his fifth box to scrounge in, someone yelled behind him, "Li-kun!" Hei turned around startled to see it was his manager. "What are you doing in here? There are customers out on the sales floor. Get out there right now."

"Sorry," Hei replied while placing his hand on the back of his head and looking toward the ground. "I was looking for something for a customer."

"No you weren't! I had two men and a couple ask me if I could help them! Get back on the floor, NOW!"

"Hai," Hei replied, as the other employees looked at him awkwardly.

The manager walked off. Hei narrowed his eyes at his manager, and reached into his shirt to pull out a knife, but hesitated as he saw the employees watching him. His jaw line tightened, wishing they weren't around so he could have taken out one of his targets, but then he remembered that Misaki was right outside, and she would have put two-and-two together. He was getting frustrated with the situation, and it didn't make anything better since his shift was almost over.

_Huang and the Syndicate are going to be displeased with me that I hadn't found a single thing._ He thought.

----

The next day, Hei sat down in a booth by a window, waiting for his lunch at a crowded local restaurant before heading to work for a late shift. The restaurant was brightly lit with booths surrounding the perimeter and round tables with chairs in the center. A medium height waitress, with long black hair pulled into a ponytail, arrived with another tall waitress. She had short black hair dyed with a tint of red, and she looked astounded at the two carts she had to wheel out filled with plates of spaghetti, pizzas, bread, chicken wings, tocas, and other foods. The two waitresses placed them on his table while customers looked over at Hei flabbergasted.

"Is there anything else we can get you, sir?" the waitress with the ponytail asked while trying to smile.

Hei could tell she hoped he would say no. He had seen that expression so many times he knew it too well. She and her co-worker were probably wondering where he stored all that food.

"No, this will be good for starters," Hei replied.

The waitresses' eyelids widened in shock, and then they turned around to walk off.

"He's so cute," Hei heard the girl with short hair whisper.

"Yeah, but he's going to lose his handsome figure and face when he hits his thirties," replied the other waitress. "He's going to get fat."

Misaki sat in another booth at a distance against the back wall. Hei was getting annoyed at her following him around all day. He decided it was best he played the part of a student today when he saw her parked outside his apartment earlier. He had gone to a local college to sit in a Japanese language class in which Misaki had done as well. A few of the students had looked at him and Misaki peculiarly, but they had shrugged it off to continue listening to the teacher's lecture. She hadn't stayed long, which had made him think he was in the clear, but when he had walked into the restaurant, she was right behind him.

Misaki stood from her booth and walked by him, trying to hide her face from him, and headed over to the restrooms located at the front of the restaurant. He guessed she thought he would be here for a while. He thought about following her to electrocute her while she entered a stall, giving him a chance to look for Hell's Gate items, but he was distracted from the thought, as Huang sat down in a booth behind him.

"It seems you have a little problem, Hei," stated Huang.

"It's nothing to worry about. I can take care of it. I was about to until you decided you needed to talk with me."

Huang snorted at his comment while saying, "The syndicate doesn't think you can, and I don't either. You haven't gathered any information or killed your targets since she's been snooping around. The Syndicate is sending someone else in to take care of the problem."

"There's no need for that, I can take care of it."

The waitress with the ponytail approached Huang's table. She stepped before him and said, "Hello sir. What can I get you?"

"Just green tea," said Huang, not looking at her.

"Would you like to place in an order now, or do you need more time?"

"I only want the tea, nothing else."

The waitress bowed and walked off, as Huang continued lecturing Hei.

"Officer Kirihara is following you around like a puppy because she suspects you are BK-201; thanks to your incompetence for not killing her three days ago," he stated. "You are to lay low while she is taken care of."

"There's no need for it, she is only following me around. If she thought for sure I was BK-201, she would have arrested me already."

"The Syndicate needs her out of the way. She's been a hassle to deal with. There's nothing you can do about it. If you interfere they will have you killed."

"So am I off the job?"

"No, you are to return to the electronics store and wait for orders. Don't do anything stupid." Huang stood and began to walk out of the restaurant, as Misaki exited the restroom and bumped into Huang.

"Pardon me," Misaki said, but Huang returned the gesture with a frown and walked out.

Hei heard Misaki curse under her breath, as she walked by him, "Damn, why is it that I keep bumping into him? Now I smell like tobacco again."

She sat at her table, noticing her waitress had brought her food out while she was in the restroom, and began downing her meal while keeping an eye on Hei. The Waitress with the ponytail came back with Huang's green tea, and then stared blinking at the empty seat.

"Um? Excuse me, sir," said the ponytail waitress to Hei. "But do you know where the gentleman sitting at this table went to?"

"Eh well, I thought he was going to the toilet, but he had said under his breath that he got sick of waiting for his tea," said Hei, as he smiled up at her.

"What? He left? Oh crap! Now I'm going to be charged for his drink!"

"I'll take it, if you don't mind."

"Really? Arigatou!"

She placed the green tea in front of Hei, bowed, and headed for the back room.

After Hei finished his meal, he stood to walk out of the restaurant, and headed across the street where his work was. Misaki followed Hei out of the restaurant, but he saw her enter a brown car that was parked in front of the restaurant as he entered the electronics store.

---

Hours later Hei went into the back room, knowing that the stocking crew had gotten off at six, and thought it was a good opportunity to snoop around with no one keeping a close eye on him. Unfortunately, there was a medium-sized, heavyset employee who was trying to pull down a box from the top shelf on a rack. He had long black hair dyed red in the front, and a dozen thick chains linked together on his side. Hei began to sneak up on him to knock him out, thinking that if anybody found him they would figure he had fell asleep on the job. Hei was a few paces behind him when the black-haired employee dropped the box on the ground, causing the bottom to break open, and making items scatter along the floor. One item gave off a purple light. The black-haired man turned around and bent down to grab it, but he stopped when he noticed Hei at the corner of his eyes. He straightened out his posture and glared at Hei angrily.

"Today is not your lucky day, boy," he said.

Hei recognized him as one of his targets. The black-haired employee glowed blue, as his eyes turned red while he grabbed the chain links from his side to throw it at Hei. It seemed too short to reach him, but the chain ended up stretching beyond its limits, and almost hitting him if he hadn't dodged quickly to his right. The Contractor retracted the chain and threw it at Hei again, but Hei easily grabbed it, and sent a volt of electricity through it, knocking out his opponent.

"Damn it!" Hei cursed, knowing it wouldn't take long for Misaki to get a call saying that BK-201 was in the building.

The door behind him opened in which Hei turned around to see his manager standing in the doorway. The manager stared at him flabbergasted with his mouth wide opened.

"You! You're… a… Contractor?" he said. His eyes narrowed and glared at Hei devilishly. "I thought there was something suspicious about you, especially concerning your so-called hunger, and you snooping around in the back. Whom do you work for?"

_I guess it doesn't matter if I fight now,_ Hei thought as he reached inside his shirt to grab one of his knives.

He quickly threw it towards the manager who dodged to his left. Hei grabbed his other knife and began to run towards his target. He swung the knife, pouring his ability into the blade, as the manager ducked under and went to punch Hei in the stomach. Hei easily blocked with his left, and then pushed the man down onto the ground. Hei went to kick him in the head, but the manager grabbed his leg, forcing Hei to cartwheel over him, and make the manager lose his grip. Hei raised his knife over his head, and stabbed the manager in the chest, sputtering blood all over him.

Hei was then caught off guard as the lights went out in the building. He looked around at what might have caused it, and then suddenly a chain link wrapped around his neck.

_Baka_, he said to himself concerning the stupidity of his opponent. He sent another volt of electricity through the chain, knocking the heavy-set man out again as he fell onto his stomach.

Hei picked up his knife he had thrown, walked over to the Contractor, and stabbed him in the back, making sure he wouldn't be a risk later_. _

_I hope Kirihara didn't see that,_ he thought, and then heard someone coming in through the door. He held on to the blade and readied for another fight.

----

Misaki kept her eyes on the store, waiting for Li to return into view, but there was no sign of him for the longest time. She began to worry that Li had figured he was being tailed and split through the back door. She began to open the car door to check things out when her phone rang.

"Kirihara desu," Misaki muttered.

"_Misaki, its Ootsuka. Kanami just called and informed us there seems to be some Contractor activity in Akihabara."_

"In Akihabara," Misaki asked surprisingly. "Who and Where?"

"_She couldn't get an exact location, but it looked to be WB-625 and BK-201_."

"BK-201?"

"_Hai_."

Misaki reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves that November Eleven insisted on her taking. She fished around in it some more and yanked out her gun, as she said, "Thank you, Ootsuka." She was about to hang up when the power to the building went out. Misaki cursed and ordered Ootsuka to send back up to the electronics store in Akihabara.

"_Nani, how do…?"_ questioned Ootsuka.

"Never mind, just send them."

Misaki hung up her phone and placed it in her pocket. She got out of the car, crossed the street quickly, and hurried into the store as an employee was running out screaming, "fire, fire," but there was none. Misaki ran to the back room, rounded a corner, and tripped over something to fall forward. The room's emergency lights didn't light up the room. Misaki looked over her right shoulder to see what she had stumbled over, and noticed it was a scorched and hazing corpse with a split-blade knife sticking out of his chest. She recognized him as the manager.

"BK-201!" Misaki muttered.

He was here, but why? Was the reason why have anything to do with Li being BK-201, or was it because BK-201 came to annihilate Li? She wanted to pray it was the latter, but that also meant Li's life was in danger, and he might already be dead. The thought pained her heart severely, and she blamed herself. The lights kicked back on, as Misaki stood back up and noticed a figure of a man in front of her as she quickly aimed her gun at him. Shock overwhelmed her. He was standing in front of another body that had blood seeping out of a knife wound.

"Li-kun!" she said, relieved to see he was all right.

"Misaki?" Li said startled.

Suddenly Misaki noticed spattered blood all over his hands and clothes, and a split blade knife in his right hand. Her heart ached and her soul cried from betrayal, as she profiled the scene. It was clear to her that Li had to have killed these two men. Misaki didn't want to believe it, but with him standing over the dead bodies covered in their blood, what else was she to believe? "Li-kun? It isn't… true? You didn't… kill… these men?"

"Kill these men? Me… n—no! I… I just…"

"Don't lie, Li. Their blood is all over you and you're holding the knife. You killed them, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't, I swear!"

"You've been lying to me since we met! Haven't you!" Misaki screamed, feeling stupid for falling for all his lies.

"Misaki, please!"

She felt the urge to cry, but she held her composure, and aimed her gun at Li. "Sorry, Li, but you're under arrest for the murder of these two men."

"Un—under arrest? Misaki, you can't be serious?" said Li looking shocked. "I just walked in here, noticing it was dark, and tripped over one of these men. I didn't do anything. I swear!"

"I'm sorry, Li. I want to believe you, but the evidence is telling me that you are BK-201."

Misaki tried to imagine Li with a white mask and black coat on, but it was hard to picture such a thing, or she didn't want to. He stared at her with a confused and innocent stare.

"BK-201? What's that?"

"Please, stop your lying, Li: if that's even your name. It hurts me severely as it is. Please, just put your hands up."

Li continued to look at her confused, and tried to approach her while saying, "Misaki, I don't… I don't understand? What's…?"

"Just stop! Stop with the lying and put your hands up!"

Li looked at her blankly, wanting to say something, but he kept his lips zipped and held up his hands. Misaki slowly approached him while keeping her gun pointed at him. She grabbed his left arm, followed by his right arm, and snapped her handcuffs on.

"I'm really sorry, Li," she whispered into his ears, as a single tear dropped from her eye. "I really hoped you weren't BK-201."

"But Misaki, I don't know what a BK-201 is?" he said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you," she said again, as she wiped the tear from her eye.

Misaki began to lead Li out of the back room when a stack of boxes came crashing down off shelves behind her. She turned around to find herself pointing a gun at a black cat with a red collar.

"Stupid neko," she sighed.

Misaki turned her attention towards Li, but she ended up looking back at the cat to realize it was the same cat she had saw at the park. She frowned due to the fact that the Animal Control hadn't done their job at catching the thing, and then wondered what it was doing here. Maybe it was Li's cat but he didn't want to admit it to his landlady. Suddenly she caught a glimpse of a figure running around a corner.

She then looked back quickly and noticed Li had a blank expression on his face. If he was BK-201, he was putting on a good act that made her feel guilty for arresting him.

Another crashing noise forced her to turn around to see what it was. She saw nothing, but suddenly a man in a work uniform flew around the corner, his body highlighted in blue and his eyes turned red, as Misaki heard something else crash behind some shelving. The Contractor spotted Misaki and Li, and sent a few television boxes from the top shelf at her. She braced herself for the impact, but Li pushed her out of the way, causing her to fall on her bottom and out of the boxes path. Misaki was about to thank him, feeling awful for handcuffing him after he had saved her, but her attention shifted to a cable line that flew past her and Li to wrap around the Contractor's neck. The Contractor tried to loosen the wire, but he was unsuccessful, as he lost air and passed out to fall to the ground.

"Nani?" questioned Misaki to herself while glancing at Li.

Misaki heard footsteps, making her whip her head towards it to watch a man come out from behind the shelving. Her eyes widened in shock, as she stared at a white mask with a purple lightning bolt, and a long trench coat darker than black.

"BK…2…0…1?" she muttered under her breath.

She was wrong! Or that was; November Eleven had been wrong about Li being BK-201.

"Eh, Misaki?" babbled Li.

His eyes were widened and his mouth dropped open at the sight of BK-201, as if he was going to soil himself. BK-201 walked over to the other Contractor, kneeled down next to him, and reached into the Contractor's pocket to pull out something from it. He stood up to glare over at Misaki and Li while pulling out a split-blade knife from his coat with his left hand.

Misaki pointed her gun at BK-201 while shouting, "Don't move, BK-201! You're under arrest!"

"What?" yelled out Li. "BK-201 is a person? I thought it was an it?"

Misaki glanced over at Li dumbfounded from his comment, but then she kicked herself in the bottom as she looked back to see BK-201 running out the back door. She followed but found the door jammed shut from the other side and smacked it while cursing.

She wanted to keep searching for him, but a guilty feeling piled up inside her, as she looked over her shoulder at Li. Misaki turned around embarrassed and not knowing what to say to Li. She walked over to him while she fished through her pockets for her key, but to her luck she couldn't find it.

"What's going on, Misaki? Was that person really a person, or was he some kind of monster?" Li asked, still panicking with a confused look on his face.

Misaki looked at Li with a blank stare, wondering how she could explain everything. Even if she did tell him, someone would pick him up to erase his memory anyway. A noise coming from the front of the store caught her attention.

"I'm sorry, Li-kun, but I don't have the time to explain it right now," she said starting to leave.

"What? You're just going to leave me here with these on?" he replied while holding up his cuffed hands.

"Sorry, Li-kun," she said while staring at the ground. "The keys to my cuffs are in my purse. Don't worry; Saitou should be here in about fifteen minutes. He'll take care of that." She replied while heading toward the noise.

"Ah, wait!" Li screamed out, but Misaki ignored him.

----

Hei watched Misaki run around a corner. He was about to run after her, but Mao jumped in front of him shouting, "Wait a minute, Hei. That was just a diversion to get Officer Kirihara off your case. They work for the Syndicate. The other Contractors you are to take out are meeting behind the alleyway. You are to get dressed and take care of them." Mao jumped up onto a box. "Your clothes are in this box here. They should be there in about five minutes. Now hurry!"

Hei frowned at Mao while holding up his hands to show they were cuffed. Mao looked at him peculiarly as Hei said, "You don't by any chance have a set of keys on you, do you?"

Mao titled his head and said, "I thought the great Kuro no Shinegami wouldn't have any problem breaking out of such things?

"I take that as a no. I was hoping you did so I wouldn't have to do this." Hei grabbed his right thumb with his left hand, and dislocated it. Mao cringed slightly, as if he were the one who had his paw snapped.

"Hey, Hei, didn't that hurt?" asked Mao.

"Hai, but I've felt worse than this," replied Hei, as he slipped his right hand through the cuffs.

He ignored the left side of the cuff while it swayed in his wake on his wrist, as he walked over to the box and grabbed his clothes. Hei quickly fitted his stuff on and stepped over to the two bodies to grab his blades.

--

A/N: Thanks again for reading. Please let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed Li's new stalker.

To be continued in the next chapter. :)

--

Japanese translations:

Nani – What?

Hai – Yes

arigatou - Thank you


	6. Don't Forget Me

Darker than Black: A Heart is not black

Chapter 6: Don't Forget Me

--

Misaki entered the front of the small store, walking slowly while pointing her gun around the isles to find no one present. She exited the front of the store to see if the noise may have come from outside, but she didn't notice anything unusual.

_It was probably that stupid neko again_. She thought to herself, as she headed back inside and headed towards the backroom. A noise from her left made her whip her gun around to aim it at the plump salesman that had tried to help her earlier. He was kneeling while shaking in fear and bent forward with his arms around his head.

"Please, don't kill me!" he cried.

"Don't worry, I'm a Police officer," said Misaki while pulling out her badge. "Are you the only one here?"

"No, I think that boy with the big appetite should still be around here somewhere."

"Why are you still in here? Why haven't you run outside?" Misaki smelled something stale in the air and quickly covered her nose.

"I was on my way out when the power went out, but then I caught a glimpse of someone dressed in black with a white mask walking by the front of the store. I got scared half to death, and well…!"

"You stained your drawers?" guessed Misaki, her voice sounding muffled.

"Eh, no. I hid since I figured I'd be safer here. You're the one who made me poop myself when you pointed your gun at me."

"Oh, sorry about that. The police are on their way, stay here and wait for them."

Misaki quickly departed the plump odorous man's side and headed for the back room.

---

A thin short man stood next to a tall man who was staring at a heavyset man standing across from them in the ally behind the electronics store.

"Do you have the merchandise?" asked the tall man.

"Hai, do you have the money?" asked the heavyset man.

"It's all right here," the tall man said, as he held up an envelope. The heavyset man quickly went to go grab it, but the tall man pulled it back. "Not so fast! Where's the merchandise?"

"It's in the store."

"Show me," the tall man demanded.

The heavyset man started to lead the tall man into the back of the store, but when he grabbed the knob the man started to shake violently, as his eyes went white and screamed out in pain. He then fell backwards stiff and thudded on the ground. He stared at nothing with his mouth still wide open, indicating he had been killed.

"Nani!" yelled the tall man, as the door burst open.

A white-masked man, holding a spilt double-edged and electrified blade, came barging out of the darkness at the tall man's head. He quickly dodged to the right, as the masked man dressed in black swung his electrified blade and barely missed his neck. The man in black then swung completely around as he tried to stab him in the stomach, but his blade was blocked, as the ground was formed into a shield in front of the tall man. The man in black stepped a few paces back from the tall man while taking hold of his cable, and flung it up onto a staircase railing. The man in black flew upwards, and then hurled another split-blade knife at the tall man's head. The tall man created an upside-down half U-shape shield to block the blade. He then placed his hand on the ground and created two large knifes and threw them at the man in black who easily dodged them. The tall man then created a wave of dirt that slammed into the man in black, knocking him hard into the back door.

----

As Misaki reached the backroom the emergency power went out. The plump salesman let out a high-pitched scream, as he curled into ball. She sighed while shaking her head concerning the plump salesman's fear, and stepped through the back door. She was about to head over to Li, but a black figure walking out the back entrance of the building caught her attention. She quickly aimed her gun and headed over to it.

She slowly opened the emergency door and peeked through the crack. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear and feel something that seemed to have been a small earthquake. Misaki could also hear volts of electricity and sounds of metal hitting something.

_BK-201_ she thought to herself.

Unexpectedly something or someone slammed hard against the door, throwing Misaki backwards and forcing her to dropped her gun to skid under a stack of shelving, as she fell onto her bottom.

"Damn it," she cursed, as she got up and walked over to where her gun lay. She ended up tripping on a box and grabbed onto some shelving to try to break her fall, but ended up knocking the shelving down, and created a dominoes affect with the other shelving.

Misaki stood to look at the mess she had caused; feeling like some how Saitou's incompetence was rubbing off on her, and looked around embarrassed in hope that no one had saw or heard it. She then realized that one of the shelves had fallen where she had left Li-kun. Fear overwhelmed Misaki that she had crushed him, as she hurried over to start removing boxes aside, and prayed he was all right. She threw DVD and pushed flat screen television boxes off the pile without care. She reached the bottom of it to see he wasn't under the rubble, letting her release a breath of relief she didn't know she was holding. Misaki then wondered where he went off handcuffed.

---

Hei started to stand, as another wave of dirt headed towards him. He quickly grabbed his cable, flung it onto the staircase railing, and swung over the wave. He threw another blade at the tall man, but the man easily blocked it with another half U-shaped shield again. Hei landed behind the tall man, who turned around to look at him, and then took his cable to swing it at the tall man's neck, but it was blocked.

The tall man motioned his arms upward, causing a storm of dirt to swirl around Hei's feet like a tornado, and swallow him whole. Hei fought against the sandy vortex, his hands whipping at it as if they were swatting at a few dozen flies, and then he whipped out his cable to latch it onto a light pole to pull him out of the storm. The sandy vortex followed Hei, which caused him to jump away from it on the rooftop, and then he found himself dodging another.

Hei, reaching his boiling point concerning the irritating miniature tornado, threw his last knife at the obnoxious opponent who was pissing him off. To Hei's unsettling nerve the tall dolt used the ground again to form that stupid half U-shaped shield.

Having enough of dodging the tall man's little twisters, Hei swung down at him with the vortexes in tow, which caused the tall man to freak out and move out of the way, but ended up being swarmed in the tornados. He cursed and dispelled his creations, as Hei took the opportunity to sneak up behind him to place his hands on his shoulders and electrocute him. The tall man screamed out in pain as his eyes rolled back into its sockets, and his body fell to the ground dead. Hei then looked towards the short man who was wielding a Japanese sword and wondered why he had not attacked him yet.

---

Loud screams from outside caught Misaki's attention, as she remembered she needed to find her gun. She started to head over to where she remembered seeing it slide under shelving, but cursed at the mess she had created and knew she wasn't going to be able to find it.

Misaki noticed a huge crate sticking out like a sore thumb mixed in with all the cardboard boxes, which played at her curiously about the contents it contained, and walked over to see what was inside. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of a young girl in a ragged cloth curled up in the box. She knew the girl was a Doll, and made her wonder what kind of electronics store this was.

_---_

Hei stared at the short man who stood like a statue. Hei decided to whip his cable at the man to wrap it around his arm. The man outlined in blue and his eyes turned red, as Hei sent a voltage of electricity through the wire. Nothing happened as the man smiled at Hei.

"I can cancel out anyone's power," he stated. "I'm also quite skilled with a sword." The man swiftly cut Hei's wire with his sword. "There is no way you can kill me with your electricity, you might as well give up, BK-201."

Hei looked at him as he walked over to grab one of his blades off the ground, and then charged at the short man. The man swung his sword, as Hei ducked under and swung his electrified blade towards the man's stomach. The man maneuvered backwards to avoid his attack and swung his sword down at Hei's head, but Hei block it with his knife.

The plump man pushed down with all his might, which surprised Hei concerning his strength, but he was stronger and threw him off. The plump man stumbled back and nearly blocked Hei's strike. Their weapons clanked against each other, as sparks spattered from their intense strength while the plump man growled in anger from the troublesome duel.

Hei kicked the back of the plump man's knees to throw him off balance, and then he stabbed him in the heart. The plump man stared at Hei, as the store's back door opened.

---

The ruckus outside caught Misaki's attention again, making her walk over to the door, and opened it to see BK-201 blocking a downward strike by a plumped man with a Japanese sword. She was about to run out the door, but she ended up jumping in fright, as someone placed his or her hand on her right shoulder. She looked back to see Saitou standing behind her along with Kouno and November Eleven.

"Saitou, you scared me half to death, please don't do that!" barked Misaki.

"I'm sorry, Chief, I thought you heard the sirens approaching and us calling out that we were coming in."

Misaki looked at Saitou flabbergasted and figured she didn't hear them because of the mess she had caused.

"What brings you here, November Eleven?" she asked.

"I was hoping to finish what I had started with BK-201 earlier," replied November Eleven. Misaki waited for him to finish with 'just joking,' but he didn't.

"Where is BK-201?" Kouno asked confused while looking for him. "All I see is a big mess."

"He's outside in the alleyway fighting someone. Lend me your gun, please," she said while holding out her hand towards Saitou.

Saitou looked at her confused but handed her his gun.

Misaki opened the door fast, as she stepped out from the door and pointed her gun into the ally shouting, "Freeze, Police!" but found herself aiming at the plump man's back, as he dropped his sword and then fell backwards dead. She noticed BK-201's knife sticking out of his body, and the other man seemed to be smoking like a bolt of lightning had hit him.

She looked up from them and saw the Black Reaper standing before her. Misaki motioned her gun towards him and shot while November Eleven created an icicle to throw at BK-201. They missed as he whipped out his spare cable and flung onto a roof. He bolted off to make Misaki follow, causing Saitou to scream at her to wait, and ran after her with Kouno and November Eleven in pursuit.

Misaki halted in front of the store and looked around the rooftops, but she didn't see BK-201 anywhere. Saitou, Kouno, and November Eleven arrived seconds later. They too scanned the area and saw nothing.

"He definitely can disappear in a flash," said November Eleven.

"Damn it!" cursed Misaki again.

A loud crash came from the back alley. Misaki bolted for it with her partners and November Eleven following. They returned to the back alley, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. A shuffle of things from behind her heightened her senses as she readied Saitou's gun, and pointed it towards the noise while she approached a few large boxes.

"Police, come out with your hands up," she demanded.

The person did, shocking her and Saitou that it was Li with his hands still handcuffed, as he tried to raise them over his head. He had a scared expression on his face with sweat poring down his left cheek. Kouno stared at him baffled, and then at Misaki and Saitou dumbfounded. November Eleven stood staring at him, as if profiling the situation like Misaki had done.

"Li-kun?" Misaki said as she lowered her gun.

"Li-kun, what are you doing here?" questioned Saitou, who looked even more confused. "Why are you handcuffed and why are you covered in blood?"

November Eleven smirked at Li, making Misaki think he must have been right about Li being BK-201.

"Um, I work here and I was stocking some shelves in the back room, and then I tripped and fell on a dead body. Before I knew it Misaki was pointing a gun at me and calling me… what was it you called me, Misaki-san?"

"B—BK…201," replied Misaki embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah, that thing, eh, I mean him. KB-102, and then she cuffed me."

The detectives whipped their heads at Misaki, except November Eleven, and then at Li.

"You think Li-kun is BK-201, Chief?" questioned Saitou.

"Well… I… um…"

Her skin started to feel like it had burned from too much sun from her embarrassment, and looked down at the ground.

"It's no surprise to me," said November Eleven calmly, trying to back her up, or so it seemed since he was a Contractor.

"Men, take him in for questioning," said a voice from behind Misaki.

"Captain?" questioned Misaki, as she looked over her shoulders.

Two officers stepped away from Hourai and went to go grab Li by the arms.

"Wait!" Misaki yelled out while walking over to a startled Li.

"What is it, Officer Kirihara?" asked Hourai.

"He's not BK-201."

"What!" replied Saitou and Kouno.

November Eleven look towards Misaki surprised, as he placed a cigarette in his mouth, and began fishing in his pockets for his lighter. He frowned to himself and started patting his coat pockets.

"Now where…?" November Eleven muttered to himself. "I hope I didn't lose it while running back and forth?"

"But you had said…!" shouted Saitou at Misaki.

"I know what I had said, and I was wrong," said Misaki. "BK-201 had killed a Contractor in front of me just as I put the cuffs on Li. He's not him."

Saitou and Kouno blinked at her dumbfounded, as the right corner of Hourai's lips drooped.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't explain why I have two dead bodies inside, and this young man covered in blood," he stated.

"Sir, they were killed by a split-blade knife like the one BK-201 uses."

"What are you talking about? We didn't find any split-blade knives. And I do not see any sign of BK-201 around here. Take the boy in for questioning."

"Sir, Li-kun didn't kill them."

"How do you know? You thought he did at first, too. And I'm sure it was all the blood he is covered in. That's why he's in handcuffs, right?"

"He had said he had tripped on them"

"And you believed that, Officer Kirihara?"

"He didn't kill them!" she yelled out again.

Hourai narrowed his eyes at her, as November Eleven started patting his jean pockets.

"This is not good," said November Eleven under his breath.

"We'll be the judges of that. Take him away, men," ordered Hourai.

"Wait!" she said again, as she went to go grab him from the officers.

"I'll be all right, Misaki," he said while he turned around to gaze into her eyes.

He smiled his usual smile at her, and then the two officers ushered him down the alley and around the corner.

"Sir, he didn't do it."

"Did you see who killed those men in the store, Officer Kirihara?"

"No, sir."

"Then you don't know for sure if this boy killed them or not, do you?"

"Sir!"

"That's enough, Kirihara. The boy's a suspect for now."

Her captain turned and left with Misaki watching him with a dirty look until he rounded the corner. Misaki's anger rose in her and ran out of the alley with Saitou, and Kouno trailing after her. November Eleven's eyes rolled for not being able to find his lighter, and having to chase after the detectives. She reached the front of the building as the police officers were shoving Li in the back of their car.

"Let him go!" she demanded.

"Kirihara?" screamed Hourai, as he turned his attention away from an officer to glare angrily at her. "What in…? Would you stop interfering with our work here?"

"Did you kill those two men, Li-kun??" Misaki asked.

Li shook his head.

"I suppose you didn't kill those three out in the alley either?" barked Hourai.

"No, sir," replied Li.

"Then what were you doing out in the ally?"

"Well, when Misaki left me I headed outside, only to find two scary men fighting. One had demon red eyes, and the other guy had a white mask. I started running out of there scared, but a cable had wrapped around my neck, and then I found myself being flung onto these boxes. I must have fallen unconscious from lack of air because I woke up to Misaki yelling, 'Police, freeze.'"

Misaki winced at Li's explanation, figuring that BK-201 must have knocked him out with his electricity.

"Did you see this man in a white mask kill the other three men?" asked Misaki.

"No, I did not."

Misaki turned to Hourai, "Sir, he didn't kill anyone, and he did not witness anyone get killed. Let him go."

"You seem certain that BK-201 killed all these men, and this boy is not him."

"Hai, sir. I told you that he appeared when I was…"

"Let him go," Hourai ordered over his shoulder.

Misaki looked at him shocked, as an officer un-cuffed Li.

"Wha…? Why are…?" she stuttered to say.

"Would you rather have me arrest him? 'Cause I will. I'm letting him go on your word, but if he turns out to be BK-201, it's your badge and gun. Got it?"

"Ha—hai, Captain. Thank you," said Misaki relieved.

Hourai glared back at Li and said, "I'll be keeping my eye on you, boy."

Li nodded. Hourai frowned at him and then walked off to enter his car nearby. He started up his engine and drove off. November Eleven watched him until he disappeared into traffic. He began fishing around in his pockets again, as sweat started pouring down his forehead.

Misaki walked up to Li and avoided his eyes since she had put him in such a pickle. She finally found the courage and looked up at him saying, "I—I'm sorry, Li-kun."

"It's quite all right, Misaki," smiled Li.

"Li-kun, I had accused you of murder, a double murder. Aren't you a little mad at me?"

"Misaki, I think I would have thought myself guilty, and you had helped prove I'm innocence. If anything, I owe you."

Misaki blushed. She found Li a peculiar man and wondered again how he could look on life so carefree?

"Eh, how about I drive you home?" she suggested.

"Hai, I would like that very much," he nodded in appreciation. "But I'm covered in blood. I don't want to get it all over your car."

"I'll get a couple of towels from the ambulance," spoke up Kouno. "I also have an extra shirt in my car you can use. I'll go get it."

Kouno rushed off towards an Ambulance, as November Eleven sighed while saying, "Do any of you have a lighter, or maybe matches?"

Misaki glanced back at him to see he hadn't found his lighter to fulfill his obeisance. She returned her attention towards Li-kun while she regrettably remembered him stopping by the tobacco store yesterday.

"Li-kun, can he borrow your lighter?" Misaki asked.

"My lighter?" questioned Li, as he blinked at her baffled. "I don't smoke."

Misaki stared at him peculiarly. If he didn't smoke, then why had he been at the store in the first place? Maybe it wasn't a pack of smokes, but something else that was sold there? She pushed the thought to the back of her brain, as her image of the perfect guy returned.

"What a bother," muttered November Eleven. "I thought I'd never say this, but I wish BK-201 was still around."

"Why?" Saitou asked.

November Eleven looked over at him, as he placed on his sunglasses and cracked a smile.

"So I can ask him to use his power and light my cigarette," replied November Eleven.

Misaki waited for him to say 'Just joking' again, but he didn't, causing her to sigh. She too wished BK-201 were around, but in handcuffs instead of Li-kun.

November Eleven turned around to walk over to some other police officers standing by their car, and asked if they had a light. One of them nodded, and handed November Eleven a lighter. He let out a breath of relief and lit his cigarette.

"Oh, that reminded me, Chief," spoke up Saitou. "Your car is parked down a ways."

"Eh, I didn't know you could drive a stick?" questioned Misaki.

"Eh, well, sorry about this, Chief, but if you can't find it, grind it."

"WHAT??"

Misaki's eyes burned with fury, as she imagined Saitou forcing the car's shifter into gears without pressing down on the clutch. No doubt her gearbox was shot, and her clutch plate was grinded up.

"Saitou, do you know how much it's going to cost me from you driving my car?" she barked.

"Eh, no?"

Before she could tell him, Kouno arrived moments later with a towel, a white work out Nike t-shirt, and a plastic bag. He handed the towel to Li in which he started to wipe away the blood on his arms and hands. He then removed his shirt and started wiping the blood that had soaked through his shirt onto his chest. Misaki's heart started beating rapidly, as she gazed at Li toweling his upper muscular chest, and wished she were wiping him down.

"Thank you, sir," said Li while grabbing the shirt from Kouno and putting it on. It fit snug up against his body and accentuated his muscles. He then grabbed the plastic bag and put the bloodstained shirt into it. "Misaki, you ready?"

Misaki continued to stare at Li in a daze.

"Misaki, are you all right?" Li asked.

"Eh."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Hai, I'm sorry."

She located where her car was at and guided Li over to it embarrassed. Li walked over to the driver's side of the car, making Misaki want to blurt out a comment, but it was too late as he opened the door and stared inside it.

"Eh, Misaki, there's something wrong with your car?" blabbered Li. "The steering wheel is on the wrong side."

"It's an import car," said Misaki. "They make them that way."

"Oh, well um, here you go."

Li gestured with his right hand for Misaki to enter.

"Arigatou, Li-kun," said Misaki, as she blushed slightly while looking into his eyes. _He's such a gentleman, _she thought._ Why did I even suspect him of being BK-201? If I were he, I wouldn't want to see me anymore._

Li closed the driver's side door and walked around to the passenger's side and opened the door to sit on the leather seat. Misaki started the car, placed it in first, feeling it sluggish and cursing Saitou for ruining her gears, and drove away from the scene.

Li asked her to stop off at a grocery store so he could grab something to make for dinner.

After they left the grocery store they took off to Li's apartment. Misaki glanced over at Li who looked exhausted, as he sat slouched in the chair with his eyes closed and his hand caressing his neck. She wondered how to explain today's events.

"Li-kun, are you all right?" she asked. Li opened his eyes and looked at Misaki. "Were you hurt by BK-201's wire?"

"No, I'm fine," he replied. "BK-201, that's the guy in the white mask? What is he? He seemed to use electricity."

"Hai. He's a Contractor."

"Contractor?" Li asked.

"I guess I owe you an explanation about today. You look tired though, how about I meet you at your favorite park tomorrow for lunch, and I'll explain everything."

"Hai, I would love that," he replied while closing his eyes.

Misaki's heart began to ache as she thought about Li. She began to fear that this Syndicate would get a hold of him and erase his memory for sure, which hurt her deeply and hoped that he would remember her. She then felt tears drop down from her eyes.

"Please don't forget me, Li," she said to herself while wiping away them.

They arrived at Li's apartment moments later. Misaki noticed Li had dozed off. He looked so peaceful lying quietly with his chest slowly rising and falling. She smiled at him, wishing she could leave him be and watch him sleep, but Misaki felt as if she would be some kind of stalker. Misaki slightly nudged Li to wake him up. He opened his eyes and looked over at Misaki.

"Thank you, Misaki," he said while glancing over at her. "Are you all right?" he asked, as he noticed her reddened eyes.

"Hai, I'm fine," she replied, but she could tell he knew something was upsetting her.

"Are you sure?" he asked again while gazing into her eyes.

Misaki looked into his eyes, not shying away from them. How beautiful they were as she found herself wanting to draw closer to him, but refrained herself from doing it.

"I'll be all right, Li-kun. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch," she replied while holding back tears, and hoped he would remember her tomorrow.

"Hai, see you tomorrow," he replied, as he tilted his head and smiled.

He opened the door and stood from the car while giving Misaki one last smile. He closed the door and headed for his apartment. Misaki noticed his bags of groceries still in her car. She grabbed them and hurried out of the car to catch Li.

"Li-kun," she called out, as she approached him while he was walking up his stairs.

He turned around to look at her, causing her to lose herself, as she stared into his eyes again.

"You forgot…" Misaki began, but she found herself tripping on the first step, dropping Li's bags, and falling into his arms.

Her face was centimeters away from his, her eyes gazing into his beautiful blue eyes, as she felt her heart quickened from nerves. His chest warm against hers, and she felt his heart beating heavily. Misaki drawed in from temptation to kiss Li's lips, feeling his breath baiting at her lips, but hesitated from the uncertainty in his eyes. She tried to overcome her desires, but she couldn't and locked her lips with his. Li's eyes widened in shock, and she believed he would push her away, but he instead sank into it and wrapped his arms around her neck, as he pressed his lips against hers vigorously. Time seemed to stop for Misaki, as their kissing intensified, not parting away from each other unless they needed air.

Misaki felt her cell phone ring. She cursed at the darn contraption, and decided to ignore it so she could continue their affection. She didn't want to part his lips, or have him push her from his arms, and prayed the person who was calling her would give up.

Unfortunately he or she didn't in which it made Li say between kisses, "Shouldn't… you… grab… that?"

Misaki ignored his comment and pulled him as tight as she could against her. It went to voice mail, which would have made the person bugger off, but it started to ring again. Misaki became irritated and slowly parted from Li, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She frowned at Saitou's name, and flipped it open while placing it against her ear.

"What is it, Saitou, I'm busy?" she said furiously.

"_Busy, I thought you were just taking Li-kun home?" _replied Saitou dumbfounded.

"Eh, never mind," she said embarrassed. "Why are you calling?"

"_There's Contractor activity in Shinjuku in the Kabukicho __d__istrict. Several bombs have gone off. The Captain wants you over there right away,"_ replied Saitou.

"Hai, I'll be there," she said.

Misaki closed her phone to place it back in her pocket and depressingly looked back at Li. She didn't want to leave him since tonight might be the last time he would remember her. She then noticed the bags of groceries by her feet, remembering why she had gotten out of her car, and picked them up to hand them to him.

"Eh, you—you… forgot your groceries," she muttered.

"Oh, arigatou," he said while taking the bags. He then glanced into her eyes. "Would you like to come inside?"

"Sorry, Li-kun." She averted her eyes from him, as her heart sank as low as it could go in the pit of her stomach. Misaki wanted to kiss him again, as she forced to look into his eyes, but she glanced away from his stare. "I would love to stay, but I have to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Hai, I'm truly sorry."

"I'll still see you tomorrow, right?"

"Hai," she said with waterlogged eyes.

Misaki turned on her heels slowly, keeping her eyes on Li's as long as she could, and then blinked them while turning her head around. She fretfully walked towards her car, wiping at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

----

The next day Hei sat down on the circular bench at the park with Mao lying on his lap and wagging his tail. Hei scratched behind Mao's ears as Huang stared at him furiously. Yin was sitting quietly on top of the elephant slide, making her presence seem unnoticed.

"The Syndicate is not happy with you right now, Hei," criticized Huang. "They lost all the items that were in that shop to the Foreign Affairs, thanks to your stalker."

"Why didn't they just kill her? Why the big charade?" asked Mao.

"They don't want to stir up trouble with them," replied Huang while lighting a cigarette. He puffed on it irritably and impatiently, taking drags between sentences. "You're to act like none of that happened yesterday when you see Officer Kirihara again, Hei. You are also to forget about the incident you had with Kirihara in the alleyway with LR-924, and the incident in your apartment."

Hei looked at Huang startled that he new about the situation concerning LR-924 in the alley since he had never reported it.

"You can't hide from the Syndicate. Just be thankful they find you still useful," said Huang while finishing his cigarette in record time.

He threw it on the ground and walked out of the park.

"You're one lucky Contractor, Hei," stated Mao.

Hei lay back on the bench with his arms crossed behind his head, as Moa continued to rest on his lap. These last few days had been crazy, but yet very exciting to him. He was very upset that he was going to have to pretend to forget about the last few meetings he had with Misaki, especially the kiss they had shared yesterday. He didn't know why he, a Contractor, felt this way, but he found himself comfortable and relaxed around her. He knew that it was better not to be mixed up in a relationship with the woman who was trying to capture him, but deep down inside he wished he could hold her in his arms again.

"Li-kun!" a voice shouted around the corner.

Hei sat up and looked over at the entrance to the park, as Mao looked at her with a surprised, and scared expression.

"Kirihara-san?" he said dumbfounded. "What a surprise. It's been a while; I almost didn't recognize you with those glasses on. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean, Li-kun, we…?" Misaki began to say, but then stopped and glared at the ground looking depressed.

"Kirihara-san, are you alright?" Hei asked, as he looked towards her with a blank expression, hiding the fact that he knew she realized he supposedly had his memory erased of anything to do with Contractors.

"I was just walking by and saw you laying here," Misaki sorely replied with instead, as she looked to be holding back tears. "How have you been?"

"I'm good; I'm still looking for a new job." Hei placed his hand around his neck, as he cringed slightly in pain.

"Are you okay, Li-kun?" Misaki asked.

"My neck's a little sore. I must have slept wrong last night," he replied.

Misaki's eyes lit up, as she noticed Mao sitting on Hei's lap.

"That cat!" Misaki began, as Mao was getting ready to run. "It's the one your landlady has been chasing. Right, Li-kun?"

"Hai," replied Hei. "How would…?"

"Is that your cat?"

Hei cringed, as he waved his hands in front of him and said, "No, no. It's just that this cat hangs around the neighborhood because a girl named Rika feeds him. His name is Hernandez. I'm often going to the Home Run House where she works, so he probably smells their food on me and associates me with her."

Mao glared up at him displeased, as sweat ran down his fur. He meowed and brushed his head against Hei's lap in hopes of making him look cute before Misaki, so that she wouldn't call Animal Control on him again.

"Rika feeds him?" she asked.

"Eh, you know her?" said Hei, pretending to be surprised she knew Rika.

"Eh, well, only a little. I met her not too long ago at that restaurant."

"Is that so," smiled Hei while scratching the back of his neck. "I wanted to tell my landlady about it, but I'm afraid she'd go over there and ring Rika out for such a thing, and blame her for the cat hanging around her place."

Mao's eyes narrowed at Hei's ghastly performance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Li-kun. I called Animal Control on him."

"Ah, it's all right. He's been a little trouble lately. I've thought about calling Animal Control on him too. Hopefully it will teach him a lesson."

Mao's eyes lit up on his comment, and then hissed at him as his fur stood on end. Misaki began to wonder if the cat knew what they were talking about. Mao jumped off Hei's lap to run out of the park. Hei believed he split because he believed Hei would have done it for kicks.

Suddenly Hei's stomach let out a loud growl, causing Misaki to giggle and burst out in laughter in which she couldn't stop. Hei looked at her puzzled.

"You have quite a big appetite, Li-kun?" she said still giggling, but then her stomach let out a little growl too.

Hei smiled at her and said, "I was just on my way to that ramen restaurant. It's just down the street. Would you like to join me?"

"Hai, I would love to."

They began to walk out of the park. Suddenly Misaki's phone rang, causing her to roll her eyes, and irritably pull it out of her purse.

"Kirihara desu," said Misaki displeased. Hei heard a voice on the other end that sounded hysteric, causing Misaki's eyes to widen from shock. "Nani! Another bomb went off in Shinjuku?" There was a pause. "Is she all right?" Another pause. "Hai, I'll be right there."

Misaki looked up at Hei, her face looking depressed.

"Li-kun, I'm sorr…"

"It's all right," Hei replied while smiling. "You're very busy. How about a rain check?"

Misaki smiled back at him and said, "Hai, I would love that."

She turned around to leave. Hei lay back on the bench, as Mao returned to jump on top of Hei.

"I should be calling Animal Control on you," mocked Mao. "You really are cruel."

Hei glared at him angrily, as he wondered why the annoying cat came back. "What do you want, Mao? Make it quick or I will call Animal Control."

"Huang just called me. We have another job. He wants us to meat him in Shinjuku."

Hei tried to ignore Mao. He really wanted to call Animal Control on him, hoping that if he stayed a few days in there, he could get a few days off. Actually, all he really needed to do was give him a brief electrical shock to put him to sleep. That way he would be able to tell Huang that he never got the message.

Hei' stomach let out another growl. He sighed while wishing he had gotten up from the bench a little quicker to go get something to eat, but he became depressed because Misaki couldn't join him. He was really looking forward to sitting down with her. He began to think about their kiss again.

"Hei. Did you hear me?" Mao asked.

Hei's stomach let out another loud growl, as a thought came to him. He sat up and smiled devilishly at Mao, which made him look at Hei as if he had seen a ghost. Hei snatched Mao by his tail and lifted him up to stare in his eyes.

"Hey, Hei. What are you doing?"

"Cat soup does sound delicious."

--

A/N: I hope no one was to upset about me having Misaki arrest Li-kun in the last chapter. I hope this one makes up for it.

This was going to be my last chapter but I have another idea floating around in my head, so I'm going to keep the story open. I'm just not sure I can end it the way I want, but if I do there will be a lot more to come.

Thank you again to everyone who has been reading this story.

Misaki/Hei forever! :)

--

Japanese translations:

Nani – What?

Hai – Yes


	7. A Masked Matsuri

Darker Than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Seven: A Masked Matsuri

Hei sat on the park's rounded bench with Mao lying behind him while Yin swayed on the swing, as they waited for Huang to arrive and brief them on their mission. Huang entered, his eyes narrowed at Hei, and approached him with a cigarette in his mouth while holding a newspaper in his hand.

"What were you doing last night?" Huang asked. "Your star was active around Shinjuku where a few Yakuza members were injured or killed, if you get what I'm saying."

"No, I don't," replied Hei.

"Idiot! They were the same Yakuza you were to steal the doll from!"

"Oh them. I was shopping. I needed to buy some food, and I wanted a coke out of a vending machine, but I didn't have enough change, so I used my power to get one."

"I don't believe you. The fearsome Black Reaper wouldn't lower his image to petty thief!" said Huang, looking displeased.

"He was buying his neighbor a bra again," spoke up Yin. Huang, Mao and Hei turned to look at Yin shocked and ill. "His neighbor below him asked Hei if he could buy her a bra since she doesn't have time. There was a power outage at the store, and Hei used his power to restore it."

"Are you serious?" Huang asked, as he rounded on Hei.

Hei looked at Huang flabbergasted, unable to think and keep a straight face. Why Yin would put him in this position, he didn't know, but then he realized she had done it so Huang would back off. Unfortunately he, the Black Reaper, was afraid to say yes due to his pride, but if he didn't then Huang would continue to pester him for the truth.

"H—hai," replied Hei finally. "What did you call us here for?" Hei asked, trying to change the subject.

Huang sat behind Hei and opened up his newspaper pretending to read it.

"Hitotsubashi is dead. A guy named Oshita will be taking over the Yakuza."

"What about the mission?" Mao asked.

"Our trade route died with Hitotsubashi, our mission has been cancelled."

"I see."

Hei stared at the ground, as if he were pondering on something.

"What's the matter, Hei?" Huang asked.

"Nothing," said Hei, as he got up and started to walk out of the park.

"Hold on, Hei," spoke up Huang. "There is another mission."

Hei turned around to look at Huang.

"You'll be working at a food stall at a local Matsuri around the Meiji Shrine tonight," replied Huang.

"A festival?" Mao asked.

"Hai, the Syndicate has a booth there."

"Nani?" said Mao, as he looked at Huang surprised.

"They need to make money somehow," said Huang. "But that's not all. There will be an important person meeting you there, Hei. He or she will have important information to hand over to you about the gate, but your contact won't hand it over unless you're trustworthy. They'll know your name. Be on your best guard, there are many organizations after this person."

"But why a Matsuri, they are usually crowded with lots of people?" Mao asked.

"We didn't pick the place," responded Huang. "Hei, you'll need to wear a Yukata, and don't burn the food."

Hei looked at Huang angrily. He didn't know what upset him more; having to go shopping again, or Huang thinking that he couldn't cook.

--

Ootsuka, holding a piece of paper in hand, walked over to Misaki who was sitting at her desk. Misaki looked up from her paperwork to hear the news with Saitou and Kouno standing behind her. Ootsuka informed her of the situation from last night.

"Eh, BK-201 was active?"

"Yes, but only for a short time."

"When and where?"

Ootsuka looked down at the sheet then back at Misaki. "For several minutes, at about 7:12 P.M. We didn't get a fix on the location but it was somewhere in Shinjuku."

"He was there… did anything of note happen?"

"It was a little later, but a homicide shooting near Shinjuku Station. We suspect Yakuza involvement."

"A shooting? Anything else?"

"Nothing else reported"

"Is that so," Misaki looked down at her desk, as if to ponder on something, and then looked back up at Ootsuka. "Wakatta, arigatou."

Ootsuka bowed and turned to leave.

_When will you show up next_, Misaki thought as she clasped her hands together, and stared at her computer screen while ignoring her work. She began to think about her encounter with BK-201 at the shrine. She was right behind him ready to shoot, as his body highlighted in blue, but the next thing she knew her glasses were on top of her head, and he and everyone else was gone.

Misaki then began to think about her encounter with Li at the clothing store. After seeing BK-201's backside, she had thought that Li and BK-201 had similar body structure, shoulder length black hair, and a white-collar shirt. However, she had already witnessed BK-201 in front of Li-kun, so how could they be the same person?

Ootsuka came back into the room.

"Misaki," she said. "Ishizaki just called again. There seems to be some Contractor activity in Minato

It's another unknown star, Messier code CC-696.

"Misaki," called out Saitou from Kouno's desk. He stood and walked over to her with Kouno following. "There are reports of Contractor activity in Minato. Witness's have said there is a man in a black trench coat and white mask with a purple lightning bolt tearing up the neighborhood."

"Nani, BK-201?" questioned Misaki. "Ootsuka just said that CC-696 was active in that area too. Did the witness's say he was fighting anybody?"

"No, but he has killed several Police Officers who have tried to apprehend him, and some civilians."

"He's killed innocent people and Police Officers? Is he still there?"

"Hai."

Misaki grabbed her suit jacket off her chair and headed over to the elevator with Saitou and Kouno. Misaki couldn't believe it. She had been tracking BK-201 for a while now, and she had never known him to kill innocent people or police officers. Something seemed wrong and she wondered what.

--

As Misaki arrived at the scene, she couldn't believe her eyes. The storefront's windows were destroyed with glass shattered along the ground. There were cars covered in dents, windows destroyed, and alarms going off. Misaki was astounded at the amount of innocent people lying dead with stab wounds. Others that were injured were being carried over to an ambulance, or being treated where they sat.

Misaki walked up to a young officer as a medic wrapped a bandage around a gash in his right arm.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm not really sure, ma'am?" replied the young officer. "It all went so quickly, but a man in a black trench coat and white mask just whipped through here. He was swinging blades around, stabbing people that were in his way, or throwing them into the store windows and parked cars. He was screaming out 'Where is she?' He was very strong, I even fired my gun at him a couple of times, but he was too quick, the bullets just flew by him as he approached me, and then he stabbed me in my arm."

"Thank you," replied Misaki.

Misaki asked other survivors the same question, hoping to get a different story, but they had told the same thing. She was confused of why they got a call saying that CC-696 was active in this area, but the only Contractor that everybody saw was BK-201. It sounded like he didn't use any of his power, so they should be able to pass this off as a crazy man, but Misaki still felt something was wrong.

Misaki's phone rang. She scrambled through her purse, pulled it out, and placed it to her ear.

"Kirihara desu,"

"_Misaki,__ there's a festival going on tonight by the Meiji Shrine,"_said Kanami on the other end.

"I know, Kanami."

"_I'll meet you at your place so we can go."_

"No, I can't go, Kanami. I got a lot of paperw…"

"_Ah, come on, when's the last time you went to a festival?_"

"You know."

"_Yeah, High School. I'll see you around six. Maybe we can find some cute guys tonight._"

"But…"

"_See you later_," Kanami finished, as she hung up the phone.

Misaki sighed as she walked back to her Porsche. It's been a long stressful day and she didn't feel like going out tonight. However, there was no way her friend would take no for an answer.

--

Hei stood in the booth wearing a darkish gray yukata that had tan and light gray stripes with short sleeves. He franticly cooked the food and kept up with his customers' demands. A young female in her early twenties approached the booth. She was dressed in a yellow yukata with sakuras, and had black hair tied back with a hana-kanzashi hairpin.

"I would like some yaki soba." she said. Hei nodded and started on her order while she stared at him. The young woman smiled with delight, as she leaned on the counter and gazed into his eyes while smiling. "You're cute. You shouldn't be working all alone on a day like today."

Hei looked at her stunned by her comment, but he shrugged it off and smiled back at her.

"Ah, arigatou." He said while he held out her order with both hands. "That's 500 yen, please."

She handed him the yen, then took the noodles from him, and started to walk away as another customer came up to the booth. Hei was starting to get annoyed, and he wondered if his contact was ever going to show.

All of a sudden someone came from behind the booth and wrapped his or her arms around him.

"Ah, let's get out of here," said a female's voice.

Hei was startled that someone had snuck up behind him, and he blamed it on the crowd and rambunctious festival. He grabbed her arms and released the hold around him. He turned around to see the young female in the yellow yukata behind him.

"Nani?" replied Hei. "What are…?"

"Ah, let's go check out the other booths together," she commented, as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the booth.

"But I can't just leave…."

"Ah, come on now." The woman wined, as Hei went back into the booth. She followed him and turned him about to wrap her arms around his neck. She then leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Maybe we could go watch the stars, hey, Hei?"

Hei stood there stunned as the young lady moved in front of Hei, and pressed her lips up against his lips.

--

Misaki and Kanami were walking down the booths at the festival. Misaki was wearing a black yukata with reddish orange and white Sakuras, and a purple and pink sash. Kanami wore a reddish orange yukata that had white Sakuras and a yellowish orange sash. Kanami kept pointing out all the cute guys and tried to flirt with them, as Misaki lowered her head in embarrassment. They walked by a food booth, the aroma playing at Misaki's nose, and making her stomach growl.

"Hungry, Misaki?" Kanami asked. Misaki nodded. "How about we get something to eat."

"Hai," replied Misaki.

Misaki and Kanami walked over to the booth, staring at the food, and trying to decide what to get.

"I would like some karaage plea…," Misaki began to say, but stopped as she looked up to see two people interlocked in a kiss.

Misaki then noticed a young man trying to push the young lady off him, as he turned around.

"Li-kun?" said Misaki flabbergasted.

"Kirihara-san," said Li, looking embarrassed, as he kept trying to push the young girl off him.

Misaki's heart began to ache, as her stomach was swarmed with nausea from the jealousy she felt towards the young girl. She tried to hide it since Li didn't remember the kiss they had shared, but she couldn't help it as her mouth slightly opened and her body quivered. She should have known that a young handsome man like Li was already taken. She then began to think about their meeting at the store the other day. He had said he was buying clothes for his friend, but maybe he was buying the clothes for her.

"Eh, what can I get you, Kirihara-san?" Li asked, his cheeks burning red from embarrassment.

Misaki stood in a daze staring at Li and the girl.

"Kirihara-san?" asked Li again. Kanami nudged her friend. "Are you all right, Kirihara-san?"

"Ah, hai, I'm fine," she finally responded. "I'm sorry; I didn't expect to see you working at a festival."

"Oh, I work at a restaurant nearby, and they had me scheduled to work here tonight," replied Li.

"Oh, I see."

"What would you like, Kirihara-san?"

"Umm, the karaage please."

"And for you?" Li asked while looking over at Kanami.

"Some yakisoba, please," Kanami replied, as she stared at Li, and then smiled at her friend.

Li handed them their food.

"How much do we owe you?" Misaki asked.

"It's alright, it's on me," replied Li while smiling.

"But I…"

"It's alright."

Misaki smiled and then took a bite of the food.

"Wow, this is really good!" she said. "I think you might have found a job that suits you."

"Hai, very good," Kanami said while taking a bite of hers.

"Ar…arigatou,"

"Who's your girlfriend?" Misaki asked.

Kanami nudged her, letting her know that that wasn't an appropriate question.

"Gi… girl…girlfriend?" questioned Li embarrassed, as he placed his hand on his head and looked down to the ground. "She's just a fr…."

"I'm Kara," the young girl replied while holding on to Li's arm. "Come on sweetheart, you promised to watch the parade with me, it's about to start."

Kara pulled Li through the back. Misaki felt anger build up inside her concerning the woman. She ran around the booth to give her a piece of her mind, but there was no sign of her or Li. Kanami rounded the booth while smiling at Misaki.

"That was the same guy who was buying a bra for his friend, right?"

"Ah, hai," replied Misaki.

"You're jealous," she smiled teasingly. "Well it looks like you got a little competition."

"Na, na… nani?" Misaki replied, as she looked toward the ground trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

"You should tell him how you feel."

Misaki looked back up at her friend speechless. Suddenly she heard people screaming and frantically running towards her.

"He's got a knife!" one of the people shouted.

Misaki ran towards the ruckus with Kanami following. They bumped into people, as they desperately pushed and shoved their way towards safety. A few people were knocked onto the ground and trampled on. A lady in the mist of them was fighting with everyone, as she cried out for her lost son. Misaki then saw a site she did not want to see again. People were lying dead or injured on the ground from stab wounds, and booths trashed or knocked down.

Kanami started helping the injured, as Misaki stopped a man and asked, "What happened?"

"A man in a black trench coat and white mask came through here with a blade, stabbing people while yelling 'where is she,'" the man replied.

Misaki couldn't believe her ears. It was just like in Minato. BK-201 was here and creating havoc again. Misaki felt sick from what he had done, and she couldn't forgive him for this. She was going to capture him and bring him to justice for his massacre.

"Which way did he go?" Misaki asked the man.

He pointed to the east in response.

--

Kara continued to pull Hei through the crowd. Having enough of this woman's game, he dug his foot into the ground and forced her to stop.

"What is going on, why are you in such a hurry?" Hei asked. "I thought you just had a package with some information about the Gate to give me."

"There's no package, Hei. It's all up in here," she replied, as she pointed to her head.

"Nani?"

"Come on, Hei, we have to get out of here."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"There is a terrible man here that came to kill me."

Hei heard people screaming and looked up to see them frantically running away. He then saw something that made his eyes widen and mouth drop. There was a man in a black trench coat and white mask with a purple lightning bolt.

"What?" Hei questioned, as he thought the Syndicate had some other weird plan up their sleeves.

Hei watched the man in black stab someone who tried to swing a punch at him, and then threw another knife at a woman who was screaming for her child, killing her. Hei couldn't believe his eyes. He was going to fight the man in black, but Kara pulled on his arm to run away with her.

"What are you…?" began Hei, but Kara interrupted him.

"You're no match for him, he's very dangerous. We need to find a place to hide."

"But he'll kill more people if I don't do something…"

"Hei, he's a Contractor, do you want to get killed?"

Hei was stunned at her last comment, wondering exactly what the Syndicate told Kara about him, and believed they had something to do with this man in black. They kept running, zigzagging their way through booths and people, but the man in black stayed on their tail.

--

Misaki kept on running in hope of catching up with BK-201. As she turned a corner, she bumped into someone hard, in which they fell on their bottoms. Misaki looked to see whom she bumped into and was shocked to see the young lady who had been flirting with Li.

"Are you alright, Kirihara-san?" Misaki heard, as she saw a hand in front of her to help her. She looked up and noticed Li. She gladly took it as he helped her to her feet.

"We need to get out of here," Kara said, and continued running.

Misaki saw BK-201 running towards them, forcing her to go for her gun in her purse, but Li grabbed her arm and gestured for her to run. She didn't want to and stopped him.

"Li-kun, let me go. I'm a police officer, and it is my duty to arrest this man."

Li looked at her worried and said, "Kirihara-san, he is very quick and strong, he will kill you."

"But if I don't do something, then there will be more injured people. I can't let him get away with it. He's gone too far by killing innocent people."

Li sternly kept his eyes on Misaki's eyes, but then he narrowed them and pushed her to the ground, as BK-201 ran by swinging a blade over their heads. Misaki stood and pointed her gun at BK-201 to fire at him, but Li quickly grabbed it and aimed it towards the ground.

"What are you doing, Li-kun?" asked Misaki.

"You might hit someone else," replied Li.

Misaki looked at him baffled. His posture and attitude seemed like a different person to her, as if he had seen bloodshed like this before. Her thoughts were distracted as she noticed the young girl peeking around a corner.

"Hurry up, this way, Hei!" she screamed.

Li guided Misaki over to Kara. Misaki looked at them confused at why she had called Li, Hei. They ran inside a building to take cover.

"What am I doing here?" questioned Misaki. "I need to stop him before he kills anyone else."

"Are you crazy, lady," replied the young woman. "He's too strong for you, even if you use your gun. How do you know you won't accidentally hit someone else?"

Misaki stared down at the ground and sighed. She then looked over at Li who was sitting against a wall. Whenever she was around him, trouble was right around the corner. She then noticed Li's upper arm was cut and dripping blood.

"You're hurt," she said while kneeling beside him to check his wound.

"It's alright, it's just a scratch," he replied. "I must have cut it on a booth or something."

"I'll go see if I can find something to bandage that up for you, Hei," the young girl replied, as she walked away from them and rounded the corner.

"Wait, I'm fine. You should…" Li started to say, but she was already gone.

"He's gone to far this time," Misaki said to herself while she held Li's arm in her hand.

"Huh, you know the guy?" he asked with his eyes widened.

"Hai," replied Misaki. "He's a Contractor I've been chasing for awhile now," she said while glancing into his eyes.

"Eh, Contractor? What is that?"

"H—He… is," Misaki couldn't believe it. She let it slip out again about Contractors. Why was she always acting this way in front of him? "Just a name we use for assassins."

"Really?"

Misaki shied from his eyes and asked, "Who's your girlfriend?"

She was trying to change the subject, but she felt like she had stabbed herself in the heart. Misaki never thought she would feel like this for one man, but Li had somehow calmed the ruffian side of her. It hurt her deeply to see him with another woman. She even wondered if Li thought Kara was prettier than her.

"My girlfriend?" Li asked confused.

"Hai, that girl, Kara."

Li stared at Misaki stunned.

"Kara's not my girlfriend," he replied.

"Eh, she's not?" Misaki said with a hint of excitement in her voice. "I mean, I saw you two kissing in the booth."

"Kara attends the same school as I do. She's in a couple of my classes. She's always like that since she started going there a few days ago. I was kicked out of a class once because of her."

Misaki was relieved to hear she was not his girlfriend, and let out a big smile. She then remembered something.

"Why did she call you Hei?" Misaki asked.

"Ah, well," began Li, as if he were trying to think of an answer. "Well, she never has been able to remember my name and has always called me that."

"Maybe you remind her of an ex-boyfriend named Hei, and that is why she is always all over you."

"Maybe."

Kara came back into the room and walked over to Li to bandage his arm up.

"May I?" Misaki asked Kara.

"Hai," replied Kara, as she smiled at Misaki and handed her the bandages. "I'm going to check to see if things have calmed down outside. I'll be back."

Misaki took Li's arm and began to wipe the blood away with some clean towels Kara had brought over. As she cleaned his wound, she remembered the incident at the electronics store where Li was covered in blood.

_Trouble does seem to follow him,_ she thought as she grabbed some bandages and began to wrap his arm.

Misaki remembered wanting to wipe the blood off his chest, which made part of her wish he had a cut on it, or even his face.

"That's a beautiful Yukata," said Li. "You look very lovely today."

Misaki blushed at his comment and then looked up at Li to see his eyes were staring into hers.

"Ah, arigatou, Li-kun," she replied while gazing into his eyes.

They stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. Misaki could hear his heart beating rapidly, which pleased her that he still seemed to have feelings for her. It hurt her deeply that he didn't remember the kiss they had shared. She vigorously wanted him to hold her in his arms and kiss her as he had that night. The urge that was overwhelming her with emotions impelled her every being to close the gap between them. She didn't care what would happen, or what the consequences would be, Misaki wanted to taste his lips again.

Their eyes locked to each other, neither of them blinking or averting their gaze, as Li drew closer to her. It pleased her to know he wasn't fighting her, or that he had found their moment awkward, and she had hoped maybe when their lips touched for a second time; he would remember their first kiss.

"It's clear," said Kara behind Misaki.

Li and Misaki quickly pulled away from each other, as their cheeks turned as red as roses. Kara looked back and forth at them while her right eyelid rose slightly.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Kara asked.

"Ah, no, no." replied Misaki still blushing. "We just finished, eh…I mean his arm's all bandaged."

Li stood up while scratching the back of his head and said, "I guess we should get going."

They walked out of the building and onto the street.

"I'll see you later," said Misaki glancing at Li. "I'm going to check on the injured."

"Please be careful, Kirihara-san," said Li while smiling.

"Thanks and please call me Misaki," she said while gazing into his eyes. She stared at them for a few seconds and then turned to Kara. "It was nice to meet you."

Kara smiled and nodded her reply as Misaki walked off.

--

Hei led Kara away from the festival but stopped her in a deserted alley.

"All right, who are you, who's that masked man, and why is he after you?" demanded Hei.

"He is one of the many Contractors after my life. I don't know who he is, but he's been chasing me for two days now. Didn't your Syndicate tell you anything?"

"No, they just told me you had some information to give me. So why don't you go ahead and tell me why these Contractors are after you."

"No, not until I'm safe."

Hei became irritated with Kara. He was about to pull a knife out and place it to her neck, but he refrained from doing it, and instead pushed her up against a wall.

"Many innocent people have died today! Either you tell me what you know, or I'm out of here!" said Hei angrily.

Kara looked at Hei with a blank expression.

"It was nice knowing you," he said, as he released his hold on her and began to walk away.

"Wait, Hei" she screamed out. Hei turned around. "Please, I need your help."

"My help?" questioned Hei. "What exactly did the Syndicate tell you about me?"

"Nothing, really. I just asked them for a non-contractor to meet me at the festival. I need someone I can trust, and I don't trust Contractors."

"And how do you know I'm not a Contractor?" Hei asked.

"Because you act on your emotions, Hei. Contractors don't."

He looked at her and sighed.

"Please, Hei, I need your help."

Hei stood in silence while looking at Kara and then shook his head.

"All right, follow me."

--

Misaki had called Saitou and Kouno to make their way to the festival. She had also asked Ootsuka to drop by her place and pick up her a change of clothes. Ten minutes later they arrived with the local police and ambulances. Misaki took her clothes, walked into the woman's restroom, and changed. Once she was done, Misaki exited and began helping the injured.

She took one of the injured over to the ambulance, and then turned around to see a black shadow walking down an alleyway. She hurried over to it, and unbelievably watched BK-201 walk around the corner. She ran down it, thinking she could catch him, and as she got there he turned into a darkened area. Misaki began to wonder what BK201's deal was walking through these alleys. She believed he hadn't noticed her yet in which she continued to follow him. Even though he was too skilled for her, she was still going to try to arrest him.

She followed him about ten blocks away from the festival before BK201 started to run. Misaki cursed and chased after him, which took all her strength to keep up. He rounded another corner. She followed suit, but she ended up losing sight of him. She then heard some screams and started to run into that direction.

--

Hei was leading Kara away from the festival while thinking about Misaki. Hei realized he had forgotten that he was wearing his knife under his arm. He wouldn't have let Misaki bandage him in fear of her noticing the knife, but his feelings for her overwhelmed him to be closer to her, as hers must have too since she didn't notice it. He really hoped she believed his story about Kara being a crazy student. He felt terrible when she had witnessed Kara kissing him. Misaki looked dazzling in her yukata. Hei wanted to leap over the counter, hold Misaki in his arms, and taste her lips again, but Kara had to ruin the moment. Suddenly Hei felt someone jump on him.

"Hei, are you okay?" Kara asked, as she went to go kiss him again.

"Eh? Please, Kara, stop that," he said while pulling her off him. "What are you doing?"

"You were kind of in a daze. I've been trying to call out for you three times already. What were you thinking about?"

"Eh, nothing."

"Really?"

"Hai."

"You were thinking about that girl we were running away with, weren't you?" said Kara while smiling. "I could tell you like her by the way you looked at her. That's why I know you're not a Contractor."

Hei stared at her with his eyes widened.

"You should let her know how you feel, Hei," said Kara. Hei didn't respond to her comment. "What, don't look at me like that."

"I can't," he finally said.

"Why not? Are you afraid she would reject you?"

He stared at the ground as he thought of something to say.

"You have to realize she likes you. I mean, it looked like you two were going to kiss when I walked into the room."

"It was nothing; she was just bandaging my arm."

"That's not what it looked like to me," Kara smirked.

"We're just friends."

Suddenly Hei sensed danger and pushed Kara to the ground, as a knife flew over their heads.

Hei looked up, as did Kara, to see the man in the black trench coat wearing a white mask with a purple lightning bolt.

"How does he keep finding me?" said Kara.

The man in black threw another knife at Kara in which Hei grabbed her and pulled her away from its path. Hei took off his yukata to reveal he was wearing his black top with his sleeves rolled up, black pants, and his weapon holsters. Hei grabbed one of his knives and threw it at the man in black, but the man dodged easily to his right. The man in black then grabbed another knife and charged at Hei and Kara. Hei pushed Kara away as he held his hand up to block the knife, and then punched the man in black's stomach. The man in black stumbled back and glared at Hei.

"You're him, aren't you?" said the man in black, as he turned away and ran towards a building to burst through its door.

"Stay here, Kara," said Hei, as he grabbed his yukata, pulled out his trench coat, and followed the man in black into the building.

--

Misaki ran through alleyways, hoping to find BK-201, but there hadn't been any signs of him. She thought about giving up, until a man in a black shirt and black pants, holding a knife, caught her attention. She followed in pursuit of him, and noticed the man was chasing BK-201. They ran into a building nearby in which Misaki was going to follow, but then she noticed Kara lying on the ground. She glanced at the door, and then back at Kara, wondering what to do, and decided to go check on her while cursing.

"Kara," screamed Misaki, as she approached her. "Are you all right?"

"Hai, I'm fine," replied Kara.

"What happened?"

"That masked man just tried to kill us."

"Us? Was Li-kun with you?" asked Misaki frightfully. "Is he all right? Where is he?"

"Li-kun?" questioned Kara. "Who's that?"

"The man you ran away with. He attends the same school as you. The one you keep calling Hei?"

Kara looked at Misaki stunned. She then looked towards the ground; her mind working like it was trying to figure something out.

"Oh, have I been calling him by the wrong name. I've never been good with names. Well, we were split up… I think…around…"

"Oh, I don't have time for this," said Misaki impatiently, as she ran towards the door BK-201 went through, and entered it. She heard noises coming from above her and hurried up a flight of stairs.

She reached the top moments later and tried to catch her breath. Noises could be heard coming from outside on the roof in which she opened the door and saw BK-201 dodging wires. He was wrapped up in them to where his back was facing her. Misaki followed the wires back, and she nearly yelped aloud at the sight of seven different Black Reapers. She looked on confused as the tied up Black Reaper's mask shattered into pieces, but then she saw a bolt of electricity flow through the wires, as the other Reapers let go of them. Still tangled in the mess, the mask less Reaper was able to remove his coat, which loosened the wires around him, and then he grabbed his cable with a blade attached to the end. He continuously flung it back and forth at the other Reapers, stabbing them while sending electricity through it, and ripping them in half to where they turned into liquid and splashed along the floor. As the mask less Reaper threw his wire at the last one, it instead struck and punctured a gas tank, causing it to explode and cover the rooftop in smoke. Misaki waved at it while coughing, and then saw BK-201 fling his wire onto an electrical poll to fly off.

Misaki began to take in BK-201's features again, thinking of how he reminded her of Li, but she had already proven they weren't the same, or had she? Contractors were deceivers. Had that day been planned out, or was she jumping to conclusions again? She stood still staring in a daze where BK-201 took off. She then remembered Kara was still downstairs. Misaki stormed down them, hoping that BK-201 didn't go after her again, and wondered where Li was. She reached the bottom and ran out the door into the alley to see that Kara was gone.

--

Kara stood where Hei asked her to stay. She then saw a man in black flying down from a rooftop and land in front of her.

"Hei?" she said stunned. "What happened? Did you kill that masked man?"

"I don't think so," said Hei who had a few more cuts on his arms.

"You're hurt."

"It's nothing," he said, as he grabbed Kara's arm. "We need to get out of here."

Kara nodded in reply.

--

Hei took Kara to his apartment in hopes of keeping her safe. He entered first to make sure there were no surprised guests, and then gestured Kara it was clear. Kara entered and looked around the apartment, as Hei walked up to his kitchen table and pulled out a pan and pot to cook some rice.

"This is very cozy, Hei," she said. "It's lacking some furniture, but you have a nice view out the balcony."

She walked over to Hei and stared at all the food he pulled out.

"I don't eat much, you don't have to make all this," she commented.

Hei ignored her and continued cooking.

When he was done, he pulled out his table from the wall, laid his futon next to it, and gestured Kara to kneel. She complied. Hei poured some of the fried rice in one of the two bowls and placed it before Kara.

"Arigatou, Hei."

He smiled in reply while pouring rice in the other bowl. He squatted in front of his table and started devouring his food. Within minutes he was pouring himself a second serving, which caused Kara to look at him shocked.

"Are you going to eat all of that?" Kara asked skeptically.

Hei didn't reply. Kara watched him in amazement while he emptied his bowl, and then helped his stomach to a third filling.

"How do you stay so thin?" she asked. "You know you're going to get fat when you hit your thirties."

He still wouldn't answer her. Her cheeks perked from being ignored, and gave up on talking to him to eat her fried rice. Kara shook her head when Hei finished his tenth meal. He seemed like a bottomless pit, and she wondered how long he sat on the throne when he disposed food from his body.

After his twelfth bowl, he looked at Kara with his piercing blue eyes, causing her to twitch her eyelids from uneasiness.

"Are you going to give me the information the Syndicate wants?" he demanded.

"So he can talk," she barked. Hei narrowed his eyes at her. She rolled her eyes since she didn't like how things were going with him, and said, "They really didn't tell you anything, did they, Hei?"

Hei looked at her stunned from her comment.

"All right, I'll tell you!" she caved in.

There was a scratch at his window. Hei looked over at it, as did Kara, and saw a black cat with a red collar wagging its tail, as if it was waving. Hei stood and walked over to the window and opened it to let in the cat. She was going to ask if this apartment complex allowed animals, but Hei started talking to it.

"What is it, Mao?" Hei asked angrily.

"You tell me, Hei. The Syndicate got word that a man in a black trench coat and white mask was tearing up the town, killing people left and right."

"HEH!! C—C—Contractor!" stuttered Kara. The talking cat named Mao looked at her baffled. "Hey, Hei, I thought I told you I don't trust Contractors! What is he doing here?"

Mao looked at Kara stunned at her words. "What do you mean, Hei's a…"

"Mao!" shouted Hei. "The situation with him was that he attacked us. I thought the Syndicate sent him to kill us for some reason. What is the Syndicate planning on doing with him?"

Mao looked at him baffled, as if he didn't understand what Hei was telling him, but then his ears twitched, as if understanding a coded message, and said, "They are putting together a team to bring him in for questioning. They think he has gone bunkers."

Hei stood in silence as he pondered on things. Kara wanted to run from her uneasiness, but she stayed since she felt safe with Hei by her side.

"It's not safe for us here, Kara," said Hei.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked.

"BK-201 might know where I live."

"B—BK—BK—201?" questioned Kara, as she quivered in fear.

The Black Reaper himself was after her?

Hei opened up his closet, removed a loose floorboard, and pulled out a black trench coat that seemed to be hiding something. He placed it under his left armpit, walked over to his kitchen counter, and picked up some blades. He then gestured Kara to follow him.

"Wait, Hei!" shouted Mao, as Hei walked out the door.

---

Hei guided Kara down the stairs and started running through the streets. Mao caught up to them looking displeased for being left behind.

"Hei, what's going on?" he asked.

"Do you know of a Contractor who turns into liquid?" asked Hei.

"No, but I can check." Mao stared off into space while checking the network for information, as they continued their run. Moments later he looked up at Hei and said, "Sorry, I couldn't find any information."

"Why does that matter anyways?" Kara asked. "It's BK-201 who is after us!"

"You tell us!" demanded Hei.

"Me?" questioned Kara. "You think I know what's going on? You don't think I'm surprised to think the Syndicate wants me dead after I trusted them. You don't think I'm scared to death about Kuro no Shinegami coming after me?"

Hei wanted to know whom the imposter was giving him a terrible reputation with his title: even though it already had a bad one. He figured he wasn't going to get any help from the Syndicate, which was fine by him since it meant he could kill the fake Reaper with no regrets.

Hei wondered who the imposter was. He never cared about the Syndicate's other Contractors since they made him sick. He believed at first he or she was a Contractor that could take on someone else's form, but after fighting six of him on the roof, and them turning into liquid, he wasn't so sure. He didn't even know how to kill him. He thought if he could get his messier code he'd be able to get some information on the Contractor.

Unfortunately the only person that might be able to help him was the same person who wanted him behind bars. Right now, Kirihara Misaki believed that he was the one who had killed all those innocent people. He didn't know why, but it hurt him to see Misaki with so much anger in her eyes towards him as BK-201. He wasn't evil; he was merely cleaning up the trash around the city, and he really didn't want her to think that he was a brutal killing machine.

"Hei, where are we going?" Kara asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"A hotel," he replied.

--

To be continued...

A/N: Yeah, what a great day it is today. Hope you enjoed the Matsuri. Thank you for reading. :)

--

Japanese Translations:

Hai: Yes

Nani: What

Arigatou: Thank you

Matsuri: Festival

Yakisoba: Fried noodles

Karaage: Japanese – styled fried meat (perfect for Misaki's greasy taste buds :)


	8. Trust

Darker Than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Eight: Trust

--

Misaki had gone back to her office. She sat at her desk eating a beaf bun as Saitou sat next to her typing some paperwork. She was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened on top of the roof. The person she had seen attacking the people at the festival had looked like BK-201, and the wounds on the victims were identical to the markings from his weapons.

However, how was it possible that there had been seven Black Reapers and why had they turned into liquid? Were they some kind of illusion, and did another Contractor that BK-201 was looking for at the festival create them?

Ootsuka walked over to Misaki with some news concerning the situation yesterday.

"There were two stars active," Ootsuka said. "One was CC-696, and the other one was BK-201."

"CC-696?" asked Misaki. "Do we have any information on him yet?"

"We think he works for the CIA, but they won't release any information on him to us."

"The CIA? Damn it, they are never cooperative."

The elevator door opened to let November Eleven exit and walk over to Misaki.

"Hello, Misaki," said November Eleven while smiling.

"Hello, what brings you here?" Misaki asked.

"I just came by to see if you had the courage to ask Li out yet," November Eleven replied.

"Na…na…nani?" replied Misaki blushing.

"Who's Li?" asked Ootsuka who was interested in Misaki's love life.

Saitou stopped typing and looked over at Misaki with a shocked and hurtful expression.

"Just joking," November Eleven replied.

Misaki cursed to herself since she should have known by now about his little games.

"Who's Li," Ootsuka asked again, hoping to get a response.

Saitou stirred in his seat and looked away while continuing his work.

"I need your help with something, Misaki," began November Eleven. "We are trying to find someone and we're hoping you could lead a search team to find her."

"Her?"

"Hai," replied November Eleven, as he handed her a picture.

Misaki looked at it and nearly dropped to the floor.

"Kara?" she questioned.

"You know her?" November Eleven asked.

"Hai, I had met her yesterday at the festival."

"What, you met her?"

"Hai, she was at a food booth with Li-kun."

"With Li?" replied November Eleven curiously.

"I thought she was his girlfriend because they were kissing, but it turns out she wasn't. Why do you need my help, can't July find her."

"July wasn't able to locate her. What did she tell you about herself?"

"Well, Li-kun had said that she started attending the same school he does a few days ago. Why? What's this all about anyways?"

"Your friend is lying to you. She's a member of the CIA who has gone missing. Her real name is Katherine. They believe she is a double agent."

"The CIA? Why is MI-6 after her then?"

"Because she has important information on all their agents."

A thought came across Misaki's mind and said, "BK-201 was after her at the festival."

"What, BK-201 was after her?"

"Hai, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I thought she was a double agent for the same organization he worked for. I guess I was wrong."

"She was running away from the festival with Li-kun, yesterday. She might have spent the night over at his place."

"She was running away with Li?" questioned November Eleven. "Misaki, it's hard to believe that Li is only a Chinese student."

Misaki looked at November Eleven a little shocked, but then started to contemplate about her encounter with Li at the clothing store again, and then seeing BK-201 on the roof thinking he reminded her of Li. She wasn't so sure anymore herself. She saw BK-201 in front of Li, which convinced her that they weren't the same person. He was also there when BK-201 attacked all the people at the festival, but that could have been staged too. If the whole thing was staged, and Li turned out to be BK-201, could she arrest him again?

November Eleven tapped Misaki on the forehead with his index finger, pulling her away from her thoughts, as she looked up at him surprised.

"You seemed to be in deep thought," November Eleven replied.

Misaki frowned at his action.

"We should go visit Li and see if she's there," she stated. "I want to make sure he's all right."

November Eleven nodded. Misaki grabbed her purse and walked over to the elevator with November Eleven trailing. They entered it, and after the doors closed, Ootsuka looked over at Saitou and said, "Who's Li?"

--

Misaki and November Eleven reached Li's apartment and knocked on the door with no answer.

"I should have known he wouldn't be here," said Misaki. "There's a ramen restaurant down the road if you want to check there." November Eleven ignored her comment, as he reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a pick, and began picking Li's lock. "What are you doing?"

"I just want to look around to see if she's been here," replied November Eleven.

"You're breaking and entering."

"I'm picking," he muttered, as a click sounded, and then opened the door while stepping inside the confined apartment room, "and now I'm entering. If you are worried about the consequences you can wait outside."

Misaki frowned at him and followed. There were empty dishes on one side of Li's table, and one half-full of noodles on the other side, indicating someone else was present. The thing that seemed out of place was the balcony window had been left opened. November Eleven went to go close it, but then he noticed a wet red dot by the kitchen, and walked over to confirm it was blood.

"It looks like your friend left in a hurry," he said. "It's possible BK-201 found them."

Misaki's heart dropped in fear that BK-201 may have killed Li this time. She was desperate to find him and make sure he was all right. She started for the door but November stopped her in her tracks.

"Hold on, remember what happened last time," he stated. Misaki looked up at him, and then down at the ground. "I'm sure your friend is all right. Let's get back to the station and set up a search party for the two."

Misaki nodded and exited the apartment with November Eleven.

--

Hei was sitting on a futon that blanketed part of the hotel's wooden floor with Kara kneeling on another across from him. The room was petite compared to his place, and it lacked a bathroom and kitchen. The décor was tan colored, decorated with pink-pedaled wallpaper, and dark oak sidings around the door and windows. A television sat before them.

"Now what's going on, Kara?" Hei asked.

She looked over at Hei and stared at him silently for a minute before she spoke.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" she replied.

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"Excuse me?"

"May I intervene?" asked Mao, as he leaped through the opened window.

"You again! Would you scat! For all I know you could be telling the Syndicate where we are."

"He's far from my problems right now," bellowed Hei. "Tell me what you know!"

"I know nothing!" Kara shook her head like a stuck-up teenager.

"It would be wise to tell Hei what you do know," spoke up Mao. "Cause if you don't, he'll torture it out of you, and he has done it before."

"Oh, stop your deceiving me, Contractor!" she demanded.

"He isn't!" barked Hei.

Kara twitched and looked back at Hei to see anger building up behind his eyes. Fear began to overwhelm her.

"I—ah. I'm—ah. I'm an agent for the CIA," she finally said. "Actually, I'm a double agent. The Syndicate took me in when my parents were killed by a Contractor."

Hei was stunned at that comment, as he realized why Kara didn't trust Contractors.

"They then sent me to an American school when I was sixteen. Their goal was to get me to join the CIA. Six years later, I was able to join. They sent someone to contact me and get me to find out as much as I could on their agents, and this."

Kara pulled out a green stone the size of an American penny and showed it to Hei who looked at it peculiarly. Mao walked over to her and stared down at it.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but it's a very powerful stone, and this is the reason I need your help, Hei," said Kara.

"What's its power?" asked Mao, as he pawed the stone.

"It's a cloaking devise," said Kara, looking at him displeased that a Contractor had spoken to her. Suddenly she smiled devilishly at him. Hei wondered what had enlightened her day with Mao present, but he shrugged it off. She turned her attention back to Hei. "Whoever carries it cannot be seen by a Doll's observer spirit. I told the Syndicate that I had it and that I would hand it over to them. I've tried to meet up with two other agents, but they were killed by that man in black."

"Wait, if that is a cloaking devise, how could BK-201 find you?" asked Hei.

"Exactly! The only ones who knew that I was meeting these agents was the Syndicate. They are more than what they pretend to be. I think they sent the agents to gain my trust, and then ordered BK-201 to kill me once they had no use for me. I will not hand over a stone so powerful to those murders."

"But Hei works for the Syndicate, aren't you afraid that he will hand you and the stone over to them?" Mao asked.

"The thought crossed my mind, but after watching Hei this past day, I can tell he is a good person. Please, Hei, I don't want to keep this stone, will you keep it in a safe place?"

"Me, no way, if the Syndicate found out I had that then they would kill me," said Hei.

"So you're going to turn me in then?"

"I didn't say that," replied Hei while shaking his head. "I know someone you could give the stone to. The trouble is getting her to trust me."

"Trust you. Who is she?"

"You've already met her."

Kara looked at Hei peculiarly.

"You know if you were to hand that stone to Hei and it's out of your possession, your life will be in greater danger," pointed out Mao.

"I already came to that conclusion, Contractor!" bellowed Kara, as she faced Mao. "I'd rather give it to someone who they don't know has it, instead of them killing me and taking it! Oh, why did I just say that to you?"

"Don't concern yourself about Mao," spoke up Hei. "He won't tell the Syndicate anything."

"How can you be so sure?" Kara asked while whipping her head around to face Hei.

"Cause I never seem to bore him."

Kara blinked at Hei baffled, and then glanced over at Mao who was wagging his tail and smiling. She returned her attention to Hei and said, "All right, I trust you."

"I'll need you to stay here while I take care of a few things," replied Hei, as he grabbed his black coat and headed for the door.

"Hei, please be careful."

Hei looked back and smiled at her, as he opened the door and exited the building. He didn't understand why he was helping her, knowing what the Syndicate would do to him if they found out, but maybe it was because she trusted him. He wished he could tell her the truth about him, but he feared she would run off on him and end up dead somewhere.

--

It was getting late as Misaki approached her apartment. She stepped through her door, set her keys on her counter, and stretched out her exhaustion. She then felt a cold breeze and looked up to notice her balcony door was open. A black cat with a red collar stood on her railing and looked at her while wagging his tail. She glared startled. The thing was the same cat she called Animal Control on.

The cat meowed and then leaped out of sight.

Misaki wondered if the feline had followed her. She then remembered she hadn't opened the balcony today. Misaki pulled out her gun from her purse and scanned her apartment. She walked over to the closet and checked it. Indicating no one lurked in there, Misaki entered her bedroom to verify it was deserted as well.

She set her gun on her counter and closed the balcony door. As she turned around she jumped in fright from the sight of BK-201 standing in front of her bathroom door. She went for her gun, but BK-201 was too quick for her, as he grabbed her arm to twist it behind her back, and wrapped his free arm above her breast while pulling her tight against his body.

Fear overwhelmed her as Misaki struggled in his grip and screamed for her life. BK-201 placed his right hand over her mouth. She kept kicking while trying to bite his hand, but he didn't budge.

"I didn't come here to hurt you, Officer Kirihara," said BK-201, startling Misaki.

She had heard him speak before at Alice's party, but she had never realized his voice sounded familiar. It seemed so calm and soothing in a way that made her settle down. The way he held Misaki in his arms made her feel warm and safe. Why did she feel like this, especially with a Contractor? She should be still trembling in fear and not believing a word he said, but she couldn't help it.

"I'll let you go if you promise not to scream or run for your gun," he bargained.

Misaki didn't know what he was here for, and anything he said wouldn't take away the hatred she had towards him. All she cared about was throwing her handcuffs on his wrist for what he had done at the festival.

She nodded her head in agreement. BK-201 released her, allowing Misaki to turn around to punch and kick at him, as he tried to block.

She then began to pound on his chest with her arms, while holding back tears, and yelled, "Why, why did you kill all those people? You had no right. I believed you had more compassion for the innocent, but I was wrong, you deceiving son of…!"

BK-201 grabbed her hands to prevent her from hitting him, and then spun her to wrap his arms around her pulling her against his body again.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

BK-201 placed his right hand around her mouth once more.

"I know you don't trust me, but believe me when I tell you that that wasn't me."

BK-201 released his hand from around her mouth. Misaki's eyes widened at his comment. Did BK-201 come here to tell her that another Contractor was responsible? She didn't believe him.

"I know you saw me yesterday on the rooftop fighting what looked like a bunch of me. They were some kind of illusions created by another Contractor's ability. You know it to be true; my star wasn't active at the festival, but another Contractor was. Am I right?"

Misaki didn't reply to BK-201's question. He was right, but it didn't explain about the wounds on the victims. Did he reframe from using his power so she would believe his story? She would play his game for the moment.

"Hai, CC-696," replied Misaki.

"Who is he and what's his power?" asked BK-201.

"We don't know. All we know is that he or she works for the CIA."

BK-201 was quiet for a bit, making Misaki wonder what he was thinking.

"CIA?" he finally said. "At least that much is true." BK-201 released his hold from her. She turned around and stared at his haunting white mask baffled. "There's someone I know who needs your help."

"What?" Misaki asked. "Why should I after you broke into my apartment twice and held me against my will?"

"Not me, her."

Misaki looked at him confused. What was his real purpose? Did he really think he could ask for her help? She was also struggling to recognize his voice, believing it sounded a little like Li's, but it had a deeper tone than his, and was eerier.

"She has an item that she doesn't wish to share with the CIA, MI-6, Pandora, or the Syndicate I happen to work for," continued BK-201. "The Foreign Affairs is the only organization that isn't corrupted, and she is willing to give it to you, but only if she can trust you."

She crossed her arms while giving up trying to identify his voice, and finding it disbelieving that she was having a conversation with BK-201.

"Why don't you just kill her and take it from her like you always do?" Misaki asked.

"She trusts me," he stated.

Misaki's right eye rose slightly.

"She trusts you?" questioned Misaki flabbergasted. "Why would she trust a brutal murderer like you? And if she did, why haven't you taken this item from her?"

"If you want it, meet her at Shibaya Park by the Zojoji Temple in about two hours, but come alone. If she sees anybody with you she won't approach you."

"Who am I meeting?"

"She'll find you."

The Black Reaper turned to walk towards the balcony.

"Wait!" she yelled out. "Why did you come to me? How do you know I won't just arrest her and pump her for information about you?"

BK-201 glanced over his shoulder at Misaki.

"Because you are a trustworthy and honest person, Kirihara-san," he replied, and then turned around and leaped over the balcony.

Misaki couldn't figure BK-201 out. Did he really think because he had saved her that he could ask a favor? Had he forgotten that he did try to kill her?

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, as she figured meeting this woman would give her the opportunity to capture him. Misaki could care less about what the woman had in her possession.

--

Hei returned to the hotel room with Mao where Kara was waiting. He entered the door while carrying his coat over his arm and looked over at her.

"I've set up a time for you two to meet," said Hei. "You can meet her and tell her your story. However, you're really going to have to convince her."

Kara looked at Hei confused.

"I told you she doesn't trust me. Right now she could care less about what you need, and she is more focused on how she can capture me."

"Nani, who?"

"I can't tell you yet until you meet her."

"You can't tell me? Well then, I'm not going to meet her."

"Kara, you asked me to help you, now I'm asking you to trust me. As I've said, you have met her before. You'll know her when you see her."

Kara frowned, wanting to disincline to the meeting, but she caved in and nodded while thinking the situation was insane.

--

Misaki arrived at the park early and waited by the Statues of Jizobosatusu. She had called up Saitou and Kouno earlier, ordering them to come to the park wearing casual clothing. They had asked why in which she informed them she had a lead on BK-201 and needed back up.

"Saitou, Kouno," she said into her hidden microphone. "Are you in place?"

"_Hai_," they replied through her earpiece.

"Good," I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut off communications for now, but I'll give you notice when BK-201 arrives."

"_Hai_."

Misaki scanned the temple to locate her contact. All she saw was Buddhist monks walking around, and foreigners who were snapping pictures of the buildings and gardens.

To Misaki's surprise she saw a young woman dressed in a yellow yukata shuffling about while looking around the Temple.

"Kara," Misaki said to herself. She was about to reach into her purse and pull out her phone to call November Eleven, but stopped as Kara noticed her and approached her. "Kara? You're my contact?" Misaki asked flabbergasted.

Kara seemed to be as surprised as well while she took in Misaki's features.

"I can't believe he expects me to help you?" continued Misaki. "You're a double agent. Do you work for the same organization as him?"

"Hai," replied Kara.

"Doesn't he realize that I'm trying to take down your organization?"

Kara winced at Misaki's comment and asked, "Whom do you work for?"

"I'm Section Chief Officer of the Foreign Affairs, Kirihara Misaki. I should be placing you under arrest right now and handing you over to MI-6."

Kara looked at Misaki, as if something were angering her.

"I guess you're not willing to help me," replied Kara.

She turned around to head out of the Temple.

"Wait!" Misaki yelled out, watching her chance to capture BK-201 slip away. "I didn't say that. Please tell me how I can help you?"

Kara turned around and walked back to her.

"Well, I'm only here because he seems to trust you," stated Kara. Misaki looked at Kara stunned by her comment. "I have a really valuable item that many organizations are trying to kill me for, even my own. I will entrust it into your hands, if you agree not to arrest me, or ask me about whom I work for."

"The man in black who killed all those people at the festival was after you, wasn't he?" Misaki asked.

"Hai," replied Kara.

The scene Misaki witnessed began to play in her mind, as her feelings toward helping this young woman began to change. BK-201 was telling the truth. If CC-696 had killed all those people because of the item she possessed, Misaki would gladly try her best to keep it out of harms way.

"You can trust me, Kara," assured Misaki.

Kara stared at Misaki silently observing her to make sure she was telling the truth. She then reached inside her pocket, pulled out the green stone, and mentioned its power as she handed it to Misaki.

"It can also hide a Contactor's star, as long as he or she is within twenty-five feet after holding onto it," added Kara.

Misaki stared at it, dumbfounded at how something as small as this could cause the death of innocent victims.

"Please keep it to yourself. Don't hand it over to anyone in your police force because one of them could be a spy."

Misaki nodded her head in agreement as Kara turned to leave the Temple.

"Wait a minute!" Misaki yelled out, causing Kara to turn around. "I know you didn't want me to ask about the organization you work for, but I thought maybe you could give me a little information on BK-201."

"BK-201?" questioned Kara. "_The _deadly and terrifying Contractor I've heard the Syndicate has under their wing? _The _BK-201 who was trying to kill me for that stone?"

"What? That can't be right? BK-201 was the person who set up this meeting for you and me."

Kara looked at Misaki shocked, making Misaki wonder if Kara only knew the man behind the mask, and not the Black Reaper himself.

"That's not possible?" said Kara. "Are you telling me H…?"

A wire wrapped around her body, surprising Kara and Misaki, and then Kara was pulled out of the path of a flying knife. It barely missed a tourist and impaled a tree next to him. He looked at it peculiarly, and then screamed like a little girl, causing everyone else to look his way and howl in fright while running. The wire around Kara loosened and retracted.

"Nani," Misaki said shocked, as she looked over and saw a man in a black trench coat and white mask approaching her and Kara.

"BK-201?" muttered Misaki. She whipped out her gun, and aimed it at him. "Don't move!"

"He found me again," replied Kara.

A figured man ran out from the shadows of the trees, hiding his appearance from Misaki and Kara in the petrified crowd. He threw a wire identical to the one BK-201 uses, wrapped it around the Black Reaper, and sent a volt of electricity through it to electrocute him.

"What the…?" yelled Misaki, as the man in black turned into liquid. Suddenly another BK-201 came out from the shadows. "What is going on?"

"Nani?" questioned Kara.

A third man in a black trench coat and white mask holding a knife ran towards them. The man in black who had used electricity threw his wire at the imposter, wrapped it around his wrist, and sent a volt of electricity with the same result. Four more fake BK-201s appeared from behind the trees. The tourist, monks, and other spectators were pushing and shoving their way to the front, as they stomped on people lying on the ground. The real BK-201 ran towards the fakes, dodging their attacks, and stabbing them one by one with his electrified blade.

Misaki saw Kara run up to BK-201 and yelled, "You lied to me you damn Contractor. This was all a set up by the Syndicate, and I just handed over the stone to them anyways. Damn it! I hate Contractors, and I hate you!"

Kara began hitting BK-201 who stood still while letting her take her frustrations out on him, as tears ran down her eyes from the betrayal she felt towards him.

"Kara," replied Misaki. "I don't work for this Syndicate. I really am an officer."

Kara turned around and looked at Misaki startled, as tears continued to flow. She then turned around and looked at BK-201 still angry.

"You wouldn't let me help you if you knew," he said underneath his white mask.

"What's going on? Why are you dressed in the same outfit as the guy who was trying to kill me? And why did he turn to liquid."

"He's a Contractor that can copy another's appearance," Misaki replied, as she held up her gun and pointed it at BK-201. "And you're under arrest."

Saitou and Kouno arrived and pointed their guns at him as well. While they approached him, ten more Black Reaper replicas appeared and charged at them with daggers. Misaki, Saitou and Kouno turned their attention to them and fired, but the bullets seemed to sail right through them with no harm. One of the fake BK-201s came at Misaki, causing her to freeze under pressure, and then felt someone's arm wrap around her waist to pull her upwards out of harms way. Misaki looked over her shoulder to gaze at a white mask with a purple lightning bolt.

"Nani?" Misaki questioned.

They landed on the ground, in which BK201 released her, and threw his wire with a knife attached to the end, as electricity flowed through it. It struck all of the fake BK-201s in one sweep.

Misaki looked over at BK-201 shocked that he had saved her again. She then wondered why their bullets didn't have any effect on the replicas, and BK-201's electricity did. BK-201 ran off into the shadows, causing her to chase after, but lost sight of him.

--

Hei sat on top of a tree and watched the other four from below.

"Yin," Hei said into a small microphone, "Have you found him yet?"

"_Hold on, Hei_," he heard Yin reply in his earpiece. "_I'm still searching_."

Hei had been surprised that Yin had waited for him at the front door of the hotel before he had told Kara about the meeting with Misaki. Yin had said that she wanted to help Hei find CC-696 and help keep an eye on Misaki and her partners. Hei had asked her how she knew about the rendezvous in which she had told him that she had watched him talk with Misaki at her apartment.

He believed she was turning into some kind of peeping Tom nowadays. He reminded himself to keep his faucets dry and cups empty whenever he wanted privacy.

Hei was becoming impatient with her locating the copycat Contractor. He knew that CC-696 had to be around here somewhere controlling all these imposters.

"_I found him_," Yin replied a few minutes later.

"Where?"

"_He's under a tree by the bell_."

"Are you sure it's him?"

"_Hai. He highlighted in blue and his eyes turned red_."

"Thank you, Yin," he replied.

He flung his wire to the next tree and was about to swing over, but held his position from the sight of three more men in black running towards Kara, Misaki and her partners. He retracted his wire and whipped it towards the imposters, hitting and electrocuting all of them.

"He's in the trees!" yelled Saitou.

He shot a few rounds to make Hei shield his body with his coat from the bullets.

"Wait, please don't shoot him," Kara yelled. He looked down at them. "He's here to help us. You guys can't even kill those things with your guns. You need him."

Misaki walked over to Saitou to lower his gun.

"She's right, Saitou," she replied. Saitou looked at her flabbergasted. "Besides, I want him brought in alive to see him put behind bars for his crimes."

Hei flung his cable line to connect it to a branch, and swung like Tarzan to tree-to-tree, heading for the temple's bell. When he reached it he looked around trying to locate CC-696, but all he saw was a woman in her late twenties, dressed in a blue yukata sitting under a tree. Her dyed red hair was done up with a hana-kanzashi hairpin holding it in place, a black choke collar with a bell around her neck, and tall wooden sandals. She had ice-blue eyes, a round red-cheeked face, and a high forehead.

Hei dazzled at her beauty, but he shook it away, as he remembered his feeling towards Misaki, and said, "Yin, I thought you said he was at the Bell. I don't see him here."

"_He's still there, Hei_," Yin replied.

Hei continued to look around but saw no one. He was beginning to think this person could camouflage himself, but if he could, how did Yin see him.

Suddenly Hei caught at the corner of his eye the woman in the yukata highlight in blue. Her eyes then turned red, causing Hei to fling his wire down towards her to wrap it around her neck. The woman grabbed the wire to try to loosen it, but Hei sent a volt of electricity through it and knocked her out.

"Yin, was she CC-696?" Hei asked confused.

"_Hai_."

"I thought you said she was a he?"

"_She is a he_," Yin replied. "_Look closely at his collar. _

Hei stared down at it as he wondered what Yin had seen that he didn't. He focused his eyes on the collar, not seeing anything, but then noticed a small hump under the bell. He frowned at the sight of an Adam's apple while making a mental note to wash his brains out for his affection towards the cross-dresser.

--

Misaki stood poised for any other fake men in black to appear. She then saw ten of them bolt out of the trees to run towards them. Misaki hoped that BK-201 was still around to wipe them out. Fear began to fill her insides, as they drew closer with no sign of BK-201's wire. Misaki ambitiously poured fire into them, but they weren't fazed. Unable to count on the Black Reaper, she continued to fire in dire hopes of maybe striking a week point. Before she knew it the replicas were right on top of them. One grabbed Misaki from behind, causing her to drop her gun so she could struggle with its grip, as three others snatched up her partners and Kara. The other replicas pulled out their blades, making Misaki close her eyes, as she braced for the excoriating and deadly pain while cursing BK-201 in her head.

To Misaki's surprise, she felt the thing behind her release its hold. She opened her eyes to see the others turning into liquid.

"What just happened," Saitou asked looking confused. "I don't see any sign of BK-201.

"I don't know," replied Misaki, as she looked around baffled.

Misaki then saw a black figure walking out from behind some trees heading towards her.

"BK-201?" Misaki said, hoping it was he and not another replica, as she picked up her gun and aimed it at him.

Saitou and Kouno followed her lead.

BK-201 continued to walk towards them. When he was twelve feet away, Misaki yelled out, "Put your hands up and surrender."

"I left you a little present tied up against a tree back there at the Bell," he replied. "You'll want to hurry. I don't know how long CC-696 will stay knocked out."

BK-201 threw his wire into the mist of trees while Misaki fired her gun, but he was too quick and the bullet flew by where he had stood. Misaki looked into the trees but only saw branches and leaves. She then heard police sirens off in the distance.

Saitou glanced over at Kara, looking flabbergasted, as he recognized who she was.

"You're under arrest. Put your hands up over your head," he ordered.

Kara did as he asked, as she looked at Misaki to make sure she kept quiet about the stone. Kouno walked up behind Kara, snap his handcuffs on her wrists, and directed her to the front entrance.

"Wait a minute, Kouno," said Misaki. "I want to ask her a few questions. You and Saitou go and get CC-696 where BK-201 had said he had left him."

"Hai," Kouno and Saitou said together and headed over to the bell.

Misaki turned her attention towards Kara.

"Kara," she began. "I will do my best to protect this stone. And ah, I was hoping you could give me any information about who BK-201 is."

"We're on this again," said Kara.

"In exchange, I'll let you go without my partners suspecting me of treason."

"Really?"

Kara stared at Misaki lost for words. She then averted her eyes at the ground, thinking of an answer, and then looked back up at Misaki.

"I'm sorry, Officer Kirihara," she said. "I know you think he is a bad man, but he is the kindest person I have met in my life, even if he is a Contractor. I'd rather spend my time in jail than turn him in."

Misaki nearly dropped to the ground from Kara's words. BK-201: the most fearsome Contractor, kind? Couldn't she tell he was playing her? Misaki sighed and walked up behind Kara to un-cuff her, causing Kara to look at her flabbergasted.

"Go on, run," Misaki said. "I'll tell them that BK-201 came and rescued you."

"Eh? Aren't you concerned they'll find out you let me go?" Kara asked concerned.

"You don't know them as well as I do." Misaki smiled.

Kara looked at her baffled for a few seconds, and then bowed as she said, "Arigatou, Kirihara-san."

Kara started to run when BK-201 swung down from a tree and grabbed her to swing off and disappear. Misaki frowned at BK-201 from him making her lie partly true. She turned to head towards where Saitou and Kouno were dealing with the Contractor, but stopped in her tracks as Kara yelled from the tree, "Oh, Misaki. Don't forget to tell Li how you feel!"

Misaki looked over her shoulder startled to gaze into the tree. She then smiled while bowing her thanks. Misaki was about to continue on when Kouno and Saitou arrived with an unconscious CC-696.

"Where's Kara?" Saitou asked.

She told her little white lie.

"No doubt he didn't want us pumping her for information about him," added Misaki.

--

Hei led Kara out of the shrine with Yin directing their escape away from the approaching police cars.

"Hei, do you mind taking off that mask?" Kara asked while stopping him. He looked over at her. "I'm sorry, it creeps me out. I keep thinking about all those people that were killed by the other Contractor."

Hei stared at her for a second and then said, "Yin, is it clear?"

"_Hai,"_ said Yin.

Hei placed his hand on his mask and removed it.

"You know, I never got a chance to thank you properly," replied Kara. Hei looked at her puzzled. "Thank you."

Kara leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Hei looked at her stunned.

"I don't quite understand you, Hei. I've never met a Contractor like you before. You're very emotional and those feelings are very strong towards Kirihara-san. You should let her know how you feel, even if she is trying to arrest you."

Hei stared at Kara lost for words, as he thought about the kiss he had shared with Misaki, and how much it tortured him to pretend he didn't remember it. A tear formed in his left eye and then ran down his cheek.

Kara walked over to him and wiped it from his cheek. "Are you really a Contractor?"

"_Hei, there's trouble heading your way," _shouted Yin through the earpiece.

"We need to get out of here," said Hei to Kara, as he put his mask back on. He grabbed her by the arm, and ran.

"What…?"

"Someone has found us."

"What, is it the Syndicate?"

"I don't know, but now that you don't have possession of that stone, it's going to be easier for them to find you."

Clouds began to form above Hei, and suddenly there was a downpour. Hei felt a sense of danger, causing him to wrap his wire around a light pole, and swung them out of the way, as three pieces of ice shaped like stakes spun by. A trail of ice formed along the drenched ground to where he had stood. Hei landed and noticed another trail of ice approach him. Hei kneeled and used his ability to cancel it out. He then looked into the direction of the ice trail to stare at a man in a white suit. He was holding another icicle at the ready to throw.

"Just hand over the girl, and there won't be any trouble, MR. 201-BK," said November Eleven with a smile.

Hei stared at him for a second, and then asked Kara to stand back under a store's awning where it was dry. She complied. Hei tried to send a volt of electricity through the water, but it had no effect, as he realized November Eleven must have put on rubber boots again.

November Eleven counter attacked with an ice trail, but Hei used his electricity on it, and then threw his wire at November who dodged out of its path. November Eleven threw an icicle stake at Hei in which he easily dodged to his right.

"Well it looks like we are not going to get anywhere fighting like this," November Eleven began to say. "How about we duel like men, fist to fist?"

--

Misaki was helping Kouno and Saitou secure CC-696 in the back of a police car when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket to see Ootsuka was calling.

"What is it, Ootsuka?" Misaki asked.

"_Chief, the Astronomy Division just called. BK-201 and November Eleven are active about eight blocks east away from the Tokyo Tower_."

"Nani? Are you sure?"

"_Hai."_

Misaki hung up the phone and yelled, "Kouno, Saitou, let those officers take care of CC-696 and follow me. BK-201 is still around here."

Saitou and Kouno looked at Misaki stunned, and then hurried into Saitou's car to follow Misaki in her Porsche. They traveled eight blocks before spotting BK-201 and November Eleven street fighting instead of using their powers.

Misaki exited her vehicle and aimed her gun over the car's window, but did nothing so they could finish their fight. BK-201 seemed to have the upper hand, landing more punches and kicks, as November Eleven seemed to have a harder time keeping up with his speed. BK-201 kicked November Eleven and sent him flying on top of a car, causing the alarm to go off. November Eleven seemed to be in pain, as BK-201 approached to finish him off, but November Eleven went to kick BK-201 in the stomach with his legs, and sent him flying into the storefront's glass window to shatter it.

November Eleven stood and walked over to check on BK-201, thinking he should be in serious pain, but BK-201 jumped out and kicked him in the head, sending him backwards onto the car knocked out. BK-201 approached November Eleven and looked down at him as if he was going to kill him.

Misaki feared for November Eleven's life and fired a shot at BK-201 to strike his coat. BK-201 looked up at Misaki startled, as did Misaki since she believed her shot had connected, but BK-201 showed no signs of faltering. He turned to run, causing her to curse and fire another shot, as her partners took a few pop shots at him. BK-201 ran over to another storefront where Kara was hiding, and grabbed her by the arm to have her follow him down an alley. Misaki, Saitou and Kouno ran after them and turned the corner to see no one in sight.

They headed back to check on November Eleven, who was in a great deal of pain. Misaki pulled out her phone and called 119. She told them where they were in which they told her they were on their way.

Misaki hung up the phone and began pondering on why her shot didn't have any effect on him. She wondered if the rumors were true and he was some kind of ghost. Maybe he was something like Eric Draven in the movie: The Crow.

--

Hei began to notice Kara was dragging behind. Hei turned around, looked at Kara, and realized she had been struck in the shoulder by one of the bullets meant for him. Hei sat her down against a building, tore off some fabric from the bottom of his shirt, and wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding. He then took his coat off and placed it on her for warmth.

Kara, breathing heavily, smiled up at him as her eyes wavered, indicating to him she was slowly losing consciousness from lack of blood. Hei picked her up and carried her in hope of getting to a hospital in time.

"Enough, Hei," she muttered. "Just leave me. I don't want to run and put you in danger because of me. Please."

Hei ignored her plea. He had failed Havoc a few months back, and he didn't want history repeating on him. Suddenly he heard sirens approaching where he had fought November Eleven, and headed in that direction.

--

Misaki helped the medics with November Eleven, as they were checking on his wounds. She caught a glimpse at the corner of her left eye of a black figure down an alleyway, making her pull out her gun and approach it. She slowly entered the alley and scanned the unoccupied area. Misaki frowned, figuring she was seeing things, and turned around to walk out of the alley.

"Officer Kirihara," she heard a voice call out.

Misaki spun around with her gun at the ready. She stared flabbergasted at the Black Reaper coatless with a torn up shirt. He held Kara who was wrapped up in his coat past out in his arms.

"Please, she's been shot, can you see to it that she gets proper medical treatment."

Misaki looked at them stunned, not moving while she feared the bullet had come from hers or one of her partner's guns.

"Please, Officer." The Black Reaper replied, surprising Misaki that a Contractor would care about anyone's life.

Misaki huffed while lowering her weapon and walked over to him. He slowly laid Kara on the ground and removed his bloodstained coat. Misaki stared at the Black Reaper, noticing his torn shirt that revealed his muscular abdomen. She couldn't believe she was so close to him to where she could snap her handcuffs on his wrist, but her main priority was Kara. The Black Reaper turned around and ran out of the alley. Saitou ran up to her side.

"Chief, are you all right?" he asked. He then noticed Kara lying on the ground. "What happened?"

"Never mind that now, Saitou," Misaki rounded on him. "Call for a Medic!"

Saitou nodded and pulled out his phone to call for help.

--

"WHAT HAPPENED, HEI?" Huang yelled, looking furiously at Hei. "You had a simple job of just receiving a package, and you blew it. The Syndicate is very angry."

"She didn't trust me," replied Hei.

"I don't blame her, I don't trust you either," Huang said through clinched teeth. "The Syndicate wants some answers."

"Don't they already know what happened?" said Hei sarcastically.

"Don't play around with me, boy. There were lots of witnesses that saw you injuring lots of people at the festival, and then your contact ends up in the hospital with a bullet wound and amnesia!"

"It wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

"Another Contractor."

"Who?"

"I don't know, I can't read the stars. There were lots of people after this girl, and I tried my best to get her to trust me, but they got to her before she would hand over any information."

Huang looked at Hei angrily.

"Why don't I believe you?" He said, and then gazed down at Mao. "And you. How'd you make your star disappear?"

"Nani? What are you talking about, Huang?" Mao asked, as his ears perked up.

"I got word from my contact that the Syndicate had said your star went missing from the sky for five minutes. The Astronomy Division had almost clarified you as dead, even though they didn't see your star come falling down."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. How is that even possible?"

"That's what the Syndicate would like to know. You two are going to get me killed one of these days due to your little games.

Huang turned on his heals and stormed out of the park cursing. Mao sighed and followed him out.

"Yin," said Hei, as he turned to look over at her sliding down the slide. "Do you know what hospital they took her to?"

"Hai," said Yin.

--

To be continued...

--

A/N: Yeah. I love this chapter as much as three and four. I just love writing Misaki being held against her will by BK-201. I like to keep them close together. ;)

Please let me know what ya think. Also, blackcat9517 has set up DTB's first community and its for Hei/Misaki fans. Yeah! Check it out to make sure you haven't missed a story, or would like to add yours.

Thank you again to everyone who has been reading, especially those who commented and alerted.


	9. Death is only the Beginning

A Heart is not Black

Chapter Nine: Death is only the Beginning

--

Misaki met November Eleven at the Hospital, as he was being released. He had bandages on his face and hands, and his right arm was in a sling. He also had lost a front tooth from his little duel with BK201.

"Did you get any information on the young woman?" November Eleven asked while he continued gathering his belongings.

"Unfortunately no," replied Misaki. "She woke up not knowing who she is or who she worked for. We actually got more information out of CC-696." November Eleven looked at Misaki impatiently. "He told us he works for the CIA. They had put a tracking devise on her because they began to think she was a double agent, and he's been trying to bring her back to them. He was also told to make BK-201 the main suspect."

"That cross-dresser told you all that without a hitch? Some agent he is. Although, telling the truth is probably his obeisance."

"No, dressing up as a female is."

November Eleven looked at her with a blank stare.

"As I said, some agent," he repeated. "What is being done about that double agent, Kara?"

"I have a guard watching her room," replied Misaki.

"I would like to meet with her, if that's okay, Misaki?"

"Hai, I'll come with you."

--

Hei sat in a chair next to Kara's side, as he watched her sleep in the hospital bed. Her hair was down and was dressed in a hospital gown with the bed sheet covering up to her hips. He was glad to see she was all right, but he was upset to hear she had amnesia. Kara slowly began to open her eyes. They blinked heavily at the light, and then looked over at Hei, as she seemed to notice she had a guest.

She smiled at him while saying, "Hei, I'm so glad to see you here."

"You remember?" Hei asked, his eyes widening in shock.

"Hai."

Hei smiled with relief.

Suddenly the door opened. He looked over his shoulder to see Misaki and November Eleven enter the room.

"Li-kun?" Misaki said dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"

"Misaki-san, Jack-san," said Hei surprised, wondering why they were here since Yin had told him it was clear, and thought of an answer to give her. "I was worried about her after we were separated and looked all over for her last night. She wasn't at school this morning, so I tried calling her. Someone had answered her phone and told me she was here. It seems she don't remember me though." Hei realized how stupid it sounded while he was saying it.

"You got separated?" questioned Misaki. "You didn't go back to your apartment with her?"

Li looked at her dumbfounded.

"Eh, ah, I mean," said Misaki blushing while she realized what she had said, which it didn't sound appropriate. She must have stopped by his place, broken in somehow, and saw the bowls on his table. "How did you get past the guard?" she asked instead, trying to change the subject.

"He was sleeping," said Hei.

He couldn't believe Misaki bought that stupid story. He looked at November Eleven standing next to Misaki with an unemotional expression on his face and hoped he fell for it too.

"Sleeping?" questioned Misaki.

"Hai."

The truth of the matter Hei had put the guard to sleep. Misaki displeasingly sighed concerning her officer. She then noticed Hei's bruised and cut hand.

"What did you do to your hand, Li-kun?" she asked, causing November Eleven to gaze at it, and then gave Hei a dirty look. "It looks like you got into a fight with someone."

"Eh, um it all started when I cut myself cooking lunch for Kara when she came over to study," said Hei, hoping his fib would explain the extra bowl on his table. Misaki seemed to accept the answer.

"Later, when we were running away," continued Hei, "a man in black had grabbed Kara, and well, I went up to him and punched him in the face. He released his hold from her and I saw her able to run away, but it didn't faze him much. The next thing I knew he knocked me out. When I woke up, Kara was gone. I searched all night for her, but couldn't find her. She wasn't even answering her phone."

"You hit the man in black?" Misaki asked.

"Hai," he replied, and then his eyes widened. "Eh, he didn't come to your department and press charges on me, did he?" Hei said hysterically. "I know it was stupid, and I'm really sorry. Please don't arrest me for attacking him."

Misaki and Kara blinked at Hei flabbergasted.

"You did that for me?" Kara asked. She sat up and kissed him on the cheek. Misaki's mouth slightly dropped. "How sweet of you. You're not seeing anyone, are you?"

Misaki looked at Hei, her face red with jealousy, and probably hoping he would say yes so she wouldn't continue her pursuit on him. Hei felt like he was a monkey in the middle and wondered what to say, as November Eleven leaned against the wall looking curious concerning his answer.

"Eh, well, there is someone I'm interested in," said Hei.

"Oh, is she the one?" Kara asked while pointing at Misaki. "Is she here to meet you and the other guy is her brother or something? Oh, I know. Yaoi!"

Hei fell out of his chair as Misaki dropped her purse. November Eleven frowned, but then smiled.

"No, no," muttered Hei, as he waved his hands back and forth.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Li-kun. I find you attractive," spoke up November Eleven. Misaki and Hei looked back at him horrified from his comment, as Kara blinked dumbfounded at them. "Just kidding."

Misaki looked at him upset.

"Misaki and I are police officers. We came to ask you a few questions about last night."

"Last night?" Hei asked. "But I thought she had amnesia?"

"Just making sure. Well?"

"Sorry, but no," said Kara while shaking her head.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"Nothing."

"Is that so?"

"Hai."

"I see, thank you."

November Eleven walked out of the room. Misaki looked at him puzzled for his accusation.

"So are you the one Li is interested in?" Kara asked.

Misaki turned to face them to see Hei blushing.

---

Hei and Misaki exited the room to see November Eleven waiting for them. He walked up to them and said, "I wish to speak with Mr. Shengshun alone, Misaki."

"All right, I have to get back to the police station anyways," said Misaki.

Before she left, she turned to her officer and gave him an earful about sleeping on the job.

November Eleven guided Hei into an unoccupied room and closed the door behind him. Hei began to feel a little uptight, and thought November Eleven might be slightly Yaoi.

"I know there is more to you than you let on, Mr. Shengshun," he said to Hei.

"Eh?" stuttered Hei. "I'm not seeing Kara. Really!"

"Not that!"

"The Yaoi thing? I assure you I am not, and never had been. I'm Chinese and I was shocked to find out what it meant. You see, I was in this bar, and some guy came up behind me and he whispered that word in my ear. I had to ask what it meant, and well, the whole bar started laughing. I came to find out it was a gay bar."

November Eleven's eyes were narrowed at him and muttered, "That's far from what I mean. I know you're holding back more than you're letting on about yourself. The problem is I can't prove it and I don't want to see Misaki get hurt."

"Eh, oh, I understand. I—I do like Kirihara-san, and well, I find her beautiful, but if you want to ask her out, I—I won't interfere."

"That's not what I mean either, Mr. Li Shengshun."

November Eleven exited the room with Hei following. He stood by the door as his adversary walked towards the elevator.

"Oh, you might want to get that hand looked at!" he said aloud. "It looks to me from that wound you had broken it when you connected it with your opponent's jaw!"

He entered the elevator, and after the door closed, Hei's eyes narrowed angrily at November Eleven.

--

A few days later Hei met Huang, Yin and Mao at the park for another mission briefing. Yin was sitting on the circular bench with Mao underneath it by her feet. Huang sat on the stair side of the elephant slide, as Hei sat behind him on the slide.

"There is a new target for you, Hei," said Huang while lighting up a cigarette.

"What do they need him to steal now?" Mao asked.

"Nothing. They need us to find and kill a target."

"Who?" Hei asked. Huang handed him a picture. Hei almost fell off the elephant in shock.

"She went missing from the hospital. The Syndicate believes she has been lying about the amnesia and she is trying to run away. They want you to get the information from her first. Tell her you will spare her life if she does, but once you have the information in your possession, you are to terminate her.

"They should have done that from the start. It's more your kind of work anyway. Mao, you are to make sure he does it."

"I am to make sure?" questioned Mao, as his ears pursed up. "Oi, I don't like getting mixed up in all this!"

"The Syndicate knows that too, so that's why they want you to get involved. If he fails, then it's on both your hands."

Huang turned around to leave as Hei looked at him with narrowed and displeased eyes. He then turned his head towards Yin, but she wasn't on the bench anymore. He then looked over to see her rocking back and forth on the swings.

"Yin, can you find out where she is?" Hei asked.

She jumped off the swing and walked over to a puddle on the ground. She stood in silence for a few minutes and answered, "I can't locate her. She must be somewhere without water."

"Keep trying. Eventually she will need a drink of water," replied Hei.

"My question is, Hei, are you going to be able to kill her?" Mao asked.

Hei thought of Mao's comment. Moments later he replied with, "I don't know."

Mao cringed, as he lowered his body to the ground and his ears drooped.

"I take it back, Hei," stuttered Mao. "You don't ever bore me, but you always seem to put me in a pinch I don't like."

--

Kara woke up to find herself in a confined white room with only one small window located at the top of a door. She was also still wearing the hospital gown. She frightfully ran over to the door to open it, but it was locked. She peeked through the window and saw a wide and white empty hallway with doors. Fear began to run through her body, thinking that the Syndicate had caught onto her scheme and was going to kill her. She should have known she wouldn't be able to run away from them.

She sat in the corner of the small room, shivering from the cold, and began to think of Hei. She hoped he was all right and prayed the Syndicate didn't find out that he had helped her.

Hours later the door to the room opened as a man in a white suit entered.

"It's you from the hospital. Why have you kidnapped me?"

"I want you to tell me everything you know about the CIA and the Syndicate that you work for," the man replied.

"I told you, I don't remember."

"You don't expect me to believe that crap about amnesia, do you?"

"I'm telling you, I don't remember."

The man turned around, opened the door, and exited as Kara let out a sigh of relief. Minutes later he returned holding a cup in his left hand.

"Are you thirsty," he asked.

Kara nodded.

The man approached her while he held up the cup of water to her. Kara took it in her hands to drink the water, but it had been frozen, surprising her.

"A Contractor?" muttered Kara.

"Ah, it seems your memory is just fine," he replied. "I'll give you two hours to tell me what you know, including information on Mr. 201-BK. If you don't tell me by that time, then you will end up like that cup of water."

--

Hei was still at the park with Yin waiting for her to find Kara.

"Hei, I found her," said Yin.

Hei looked over at her shocked, as Mao's ears stood up like little satellite dishes. He then frowned while tucking them back down and started sweating heavily.

"Where?" Hei asked.

"She's at the Foreign Affairs Police Station. I didn't have time to get an exact location."

"Nani?"

Hei couldn't believe it and felt stupid. He should have known Misaki knew that Kara was faking her amnesia, and now she was trying to pump her for information on him. He ran out of the park and headed towards his apartment.

"Well, I had a good run in life," muttered Mao, and then followed Hei.

--

November Eleven walked out of the room to find Misaki standing in front of him.

"What are you doing here, November Eleven?" said Misaki angrily.

"I'm interrogating a prisoner," he replied.

"A prisoner?" Misaki questioned. "Who…don't tell me? My officers just called me from the hospital and said that Kara was missing. I thought they had fallen asleep again to where she was able to escaped, but you kidnapped her, didn't you?"

"She is the key to finding anything out about this mysterious organization and BK-201, Misaki. She was not exactly truthful to us about her amnesia."

"I know, why you think I left a guard at her door. You can't just kidnap somebody and bring her here to the Police Station. I'll give you a serum that will knock her out so you can take her back to the hospital."

"Misaki, don't you want to find out who BK-201 is?"

"Yes, I do, but this is not right."

"Misaki, she is an agent of this mysterious organization. You can arrest her, but that won't get her to talk. You have to make her think her life is in danger, and then she will talk."

"Nani? What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, I just gave her a little warning."

"Well, I'm giving you an hour to get her back to the hospital," said Misaki, as she turned around and walked down the hallway.

November Eleven reached inside his suit pocket for his box of smokes. As he pulled it out, he noticed it was empty. He sighed and looked around for a cigarette vending machine, but to his luck, there wasn't one on this floor. November Eleven cursed and headed down to the next one.

He came back a half an hour later with a cigarette in his mouth, opened the door to enter the room, and glanced over at Kara who was sitting curled up in a corner with her head lying on her arms. She slowly looked up at November Eleven.

"Your times up," he said.

Kara looked up at him flabbergasted, "But it's only…"

"Tell me what you know. Who is BK-201?"

"BK-201? You mean the Black Reaper who was trying to kill me? How would I know who he is?"

"You and I know that the Reaper, who was trying to kill you, was an imposter who works for the CIA. I want to know who the real BK-201 is. You work for the same organization he does, am I right?"

"Well it looks like your just going to have to kill me, because I've never met the man."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Just because I work for the same organization doesn't mean that I know everyone who works for it. Moreover, you don't have a clue of whom or what is involved with them. They are everywhere and they will not hesitate to kill you if you find out anything. There is probably a hit put out on me right now, and no doubt they'll send the Black Reaper himself to do it."

"Then why not tell me what you know so I can take them down?"

"Because the very person you report to may be working for them." November Eleven stood in silence at her comment. "I've already told you too much as it is, and besides, I have a lot of friends I don't want to see get hurt."

Suddenly the power went out in the building.

"See, the Black Reaper has found me," she stated.

--

Misaki sat at her desk typing away on her laptop with Saitou sitting next to her, as the power went out.

"Damn, my battery is dead, and I didn't save what I was working on," cursed Misaki.

Saitou began to search for a flashlight, thinking it was a normal power outage, but Misaki had a feeling that it involved BK-201. She opened her drawer, grabbed her flashlight, and reached inside her purse to pull out her gun. She aimed them around the office, but only saw other's pointing their flashlights around their desks.

"Damn," yelled Saitou.

"What is it?" Misaki asked.

"I just spilled my drink all over my desk."

Misaki sighed. Saitou's clumsiness was the least of her problem.

"Saitou, Kouno, Matsumoto, follow me," she ordered.

"Why, where are we going?" Kouno asked.

"To check on someone."

Misaki and her partners started to head for the stairs, but then heard an electrocution sound down the hallway. They headed towards it instead. Electricity filled it, causing Misaki to point her gun and flashlight at it.

"Everyone, don't fire, you might accidentally hit someone," said Misaki while remembering her incident with Kara.

The electricity diminished, making Misaki cautiously approach the scene to see if BK-201 was present. She pointed her flashlight around, but saw no sign of him, which she believed he had left.

Suddenly something knocked her gun out of her hands, as a wire was flung around her waist, and then it pulled her into the pit of the darkness.

"Chief!" Misaki could hear her partners yell for her.

Misaki felt an arm wrap around her waist to pull her tight up against another body. She could feel the person was male by his muscular build, and he was wearing what she believed was a thick coat. A cold-rounded item slightly touched her neck, which felt like a mask, and told her who her captor was.

Misaki's partners scuffled down the hallway, and shined their flashlights on them to illuminate BK-201's mask, making it appear eerier than usual. Saitou and Kouno's eyes frightfully widened from his presence.

"Tell them to drop their guns," he whispered into her ear, as BK-201 placed a knife to Misaki's throat and tightened his grip on her.

Saitou and Kouno locked their guns on him after his threat. Misaki glared at her partners and slightly motioned with her head for them to do what he had demanded. They looked at her baffled, but they nodded, and lowered their weapons to the floor.

"Where is she?"

Fear swarmed through Misaki's veins concerning her life, mixed in with anger that she hadn't developed towards him before. When he came to kill her the first time, there was this sense of uncertainty he had in him that made her feel safe in his arms, but now all she felt was betrayal.

"It wasn't me," cried out Misaki, not knowing why she would care what a brutal murderer thought of her?

"Where is she?" he repeated, as he pressed his knife tighter into her throat.

"Release me and I'll take you to her."

BK-201 didn't answer at first, but he slowly removed the knife from around her throat, as he kept a firm hold on her. She felt him reach in between them to grab something around his waist, fling what she believed was his wire behind him, and sent a volt of electricity through it. Someone behind them screamed out in pain and fell onto the floor.

He then flung the wire in front of him, wrapping it around Misaki's partners, and sent a volt of electricity through the wire. They shook vigorously before tumbling onto the ground.

"NNOO!!" screamed Misaki, as she stared at them petrified. She detestably looked back at BK-201. "How could you?"

"They're just knocked out, Officer Kirihara. Now where is Kara?" he said, as he released her.

Misaki stared at him flabbergasted. Believing that he was lying, she ran over to her partners, and kneeled to check for their pulses. She let out a breath of relief, as she felt blood pumping through their veins. She then spotted Saitou's gun lying on the ground in front of her. Misaki quickly picked it up and aimed it at BK-201, but he was nowhere in sight. Suddenly an arm wrapped around her neck, and then another grabbed her arm holding the gun to shake it loose.

"Where is she?" demanded BK201.

Misaki cursed and then said, "Two floors down. We can use the stairs nearby."

"This elevator will be fine."

BK-201 guided her over to the elevator. He placed his hand on the controls and sent a volt of electricity into it. Seconds later Misaki could hear the elevator approach. The doors slid open in which BK-201 pulled Misaki into it and hit the close button.

"Yin, is it clear?" Misaki heard BK-201 say into a microphone on his collar. BK-201 pushed her to the ground, as the doors opened and two icicle stakes flew over their heads to impale into the back wall.

Misaki looked up and noticed the floor's emergency power was operating. She then saw November Eleven standing in the middle of a hallway, as the sprinklers flooded the area. She guessed he had set it off so he could use his ability, and figured only a Contractor would do such a thing in the Police Station. Misaki wondered how she would explain this to Hourai.

BK-201 stepped out of the elevator and kneeled to send electricity through the drenched floor at November Eleven, but he cancelled it out with his ice. Misaki realized the elevator door wasn't closing in which she took cover under the control panel. She peeked around the corner to observe the duel. November Eleven created a bunch of needle-sized icicles and threw them at BK-201. BK-201 opened an office door and spun inside the office, as a few needles struck the door before it closed while the rest headed towards Misaki. She quickly ducked her head back, as the icicles barreled in and threaded into the back wall. Misaki looked back at them and cursed in her head concerning November Eleven's insanity, as the needles melted.

She cautiously glanced around the corner and noticed BK-201 hadn't stepped out from the office. November Eleven walked towards the door and placed his hand on the knob to open it up. Misaki heard an electric shock, causing November Eleven to jerk back his hand. November Eleven kicked the door open and entered the room.

Misaki grabbed her gun she had strapped to her leg and headed over to the door. She peeked around to see November Eleven carefully scanning the area. She slowly walked into the room to mirror his actions while pointing her gun.

Suddenly a wire came from behind her and lassoed around November Eleven's arm, as a bolt of electricity ran through it to electrocute November Eleven. He grabbed at his arm and fell forward onto the floor knocked out. Misaki turned to aim her gun at BK-201 who was standing near the door. She started to pull the trigger, but he threw one of his knives to knock it out of her hands as she fired.

"Where's Kara?" he demanded.

"Four more doors down and to your left," replied Misaki. BK-201 turned around to head for the door. "Wait a minute!" BK-201 turned around to look at her. "This was all November Eleven's doing. I demanded he take her back to the hospital."

BK-201 didn't say a word, as he turned away to exit the office. Misaki picked up her gun and followed him to aim her gun at his back, but before she could fire, he wrapped his wire around the gun, and pulled it from her grip. He caught the gun and put it into his pocket. He placed his hands on the remote entry to the room and electrocuted it to open the door. BK-201 closed the door as Misaki ran up to it. He sent a volt through the door and into the remote to lock it. She banged on the window, as she gazed at Kara sitting curled up in a corner. Kara looked up at BK201, as her eyes widened and her body trembled in fear.

"They sent you to kill me, didn't they?" Kara asked.

BK-201 looked at her and nodded his head in reply. Misaki couldn't believe it. After all that effort he had gone through to protect her he had come here to kill her. Misaki wished there was something she could do, but she was powerless against him.

BK-201 walked over to Kara, kneeled down in front of her, and placed his hand on her head.

"Please, I don't want the Black Reaper to kill me," said Kara.

With his back facing Misaki, BK-201 removed his mask, and set it by his side.

Kara smiled and said, "Arigatou."

Misaki watched in horror as BK-201 sent a volt of electricity through her body. Seconds later she collapsed in his arms. BK-201 put his mask back on, picked up Kara in his arms, and stood to walk over to the door. He unlocked it and carried her past Misaki.

"Wait," yelled Misaki, as BK-201 turned around to look at her. "Why? Why would you come to me and ask to help her, and then go and kill her?"

BK-201's haunting slanted eyes glared at her. She stared them down while she waited for an answer, but he didn't give her one. He turned around and headed for the elevator.

"Answer me, damn it, or I'll hand the stone over to someone else."

BK-201 stopped to gaze back at her.

"Because I was ordered to," he simply replied, and turned around to hurry back to the elevator.

Suddenly a trail of ice approached BK-201 from behind. BK-201 sensed it coming and ran into the elevator out of the ice's reach. BK-201 quickly set Kara down, put his hands on the controls, and sent a volt of electricity into it to shut the door, but it didn't. November had formed ice on the doors to prevent it from closing. November Eleven exited the office and threw two icicles at BK-201. BK-201 dodged them in which they impaled the back of the elevator. November created half dozen small icicles and threw them at him. One struck the center of BK-201's mask, forming an angled crack, and causing it to split in half. The right portion shattered into pieces in which BK-201 quickly jolted back and covered his face with his right hand. He cursed as he turned around to use the icicles as a step to punch open the top of the elevator and climb out of it while leaving Kara behind.

Misaki and November Eleven ran into the elevator and looked up to see BK-201 had flung his wire upward to recoil himself onto another floor.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Misaki asked.

"No," replied November Eleven. "Did you?"

"No."

Misaki and November Eleven looked down at Kara and noticed she was not breathing. Misaki's hand tightened its grip on her gun, as she cursed to herself of BK-201's continued executions. She swore she would bring him to justice for his immorality.

Something from above her altered her attention and quickly stepped sideways to avoid the other half of BK-201's mask plummeting towards her. It struck the floor and shattered into a few dozen little pieces. A strand of wire whipped downwards from a rafting above and wrapped around November Eleven's neck. November Eleven fought to get himself free, but an electrical current ran through it, and shocked him. It was only seconds, but it seemed like minutes before it stopped. The wire recoiled upwards, allowing November Eleven to fall forward.

Misaki panicked, believing he was dead, and checked for a pulse. To her satisfaction, he was only unconscious. She aimed her gun to where the wire retracted, but she didn't see any signs of him. She wondered if he had run off.

Like a bolt of lightening, the wire came storming down again to wrap around Kara and pulled her out of the elevator. Misaki jumped to grab her legs and mustered all her strength into yanking Kara towards her. Before she knew it, BK-201 dropped down behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and sent a slight electrical shock through her body. Before she passed out, Misaki turned around to get a look at his exposed face, but her vision was hastily dimensioning and her body became heavy. Within seconds, everything was engulfed in darkness.

--

Hei took Misaki into his arms, cradling her so she wouldn't land violently, and set her gently on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Misaki," he said, as he kissed her on the lips.

Hei quickly went to pick up Kara, stormed out of the elevator to barge through one of the offices, and shattered a window so he could wrap his wire on a telephone pole to scale downwards. Hei landed moments later, retracted his wire, and quickly ran over to a nearby park.

He laid Kara under a tree, as Mao approached him looking flabbergasted.

"Mission complete," said Hei to Mao. "Go report to Huang and I'll handle the rest."

"Thank gosh!" breathed out Mao relieved, and then ran off.

Hei watched Mao until he disappeared.

"Yin, is the area clear?" Hei asked through the microphone while looking down at Kara.

"_Hai_," replied Yin.

Hei placed his hand over Kara's heart, as he muttered, "This better work."

Hei sent a brief electrical shock to her heart, causing her body to jerk and bobble, but nothing happened. He wondered if he had spent too much time fighting with November Eleven, and there was no way to revive her now. He started to perform CPR. After pumping her heart continuously, and breathing into her lungs, she still didn't respond. He cursed at what to do when suddenly Hei felt her heart beating. He let out a sigh of relief and hoped he didn't cause any brain damage. Hei took his coat off to wrap it around Kara, picked her up, and carried her out of the park.

--

"Misaki-san, Misaki-san," Misaki heard a voice calling for her. "Wake up."

Misaki slowly opened her eyes to see a figure standing over her. As her eyes adjusted to the lights, they widened from the presence of the person in front of her.

"Li-kun?" she questioned, as she tried to sit up. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard at school that you were hurt so I came here to see how you were doing," he smiled.

"What?" Misaki thought, as she began to look at her surroundings and noticed she was in a hospital. "Why am I here, where's November Eleven?"

"November Eleven?" Li questioned. "Who's that?"

Misaki realized whom she was talking to and couldn't believe she let that name slip.

"Um, just another officer in our department," she said.

"Sorry, Misaki-san, I don't know," replied Li. "All I know is that you passed out here in the hospital."

"What, I passed out?"

"Hai."

"Then BK-201 coming to kill Kara was a dream," mumbled Misaki.

"What was that?" questioned Li.

"Oh…ah…nothing," replied Misaki. She became curious about his friend Kara, wondering if she were still alive and in the hospital. "Li-kun. Have you heard anything about your friend, Kara? Is she still all right?"

"Kara? No…she's dead," he said while looking down depressed.

"Nani?" Misaki looked at Li flabbergasted. "What happened?"

"I killed her," he said.

Misaki stared flabbergasted at Li, as she saw his eyes turn from an innocent schoolboy, to that of a cold-blooded killer.

"What?"

Li's hand grabbed Misaki's neck, startling her. He clamped his hands tight and started to squeeze the life out of her. She slowly closed her eyes from lack of oxygen.

"Li…kun?" she questioned heart-stricken while gasping for air.

She slowly fought to open her eyes and stared at a man with a white mask and a purple lightning bolt. Her eyes widened as she passed out.

"BK-201?"

"Misaki… Misaki…Misaki… wake up," Misaki could hear November Eleven saying, as she slowly opened her eyes to see him before her.

"Novem… ber… Eleven?" Misaki asked while she tried to stand up, but fell over fatigued. November Eleven caught her in his arms.

"It's a little exhausting after getting electrocuted. You should rest for a little bit."

"Electrocuted?" Misaki questioned, as she realized she was still at headquarters. "BK-201? It wasn't a dream, he really killed Kara?"

"Hai," replied November Eleven. "But it appears you were having a nightmare while you were passed out. You called out for 201-BK."

"Really," replied Misaki, relieved that that was just a nightmare, but wondered why she would dream of something so horrible. Li-kun couldn't be BK-201. However, if he was, could he kill her? She wanted to prove Li's innocence. "Did anyone capture him or get a good look at him since his mask broke?"

"No, Misaki. No one did."

Misaki then felt around her neck and was surprised she didn't have any cuts from how tight BK-201's blade was up against her throat. She was even more surprised that he didn't kill November Eleven and her.

Saitou and Kouno entered.

"Chief, are you all right?" Saitou asked.

"Hai, I'm fine," assured Misaki. "Saitou, Kouno, you two should go check out the surveillance cameras. BK-201 is bound to be on one of those, and hopefully there's a shot of him not wearing his mask."

"Hai," Saitou and Kouno replied together.

"I can't believe he killed her," said Misaki, wishing today's events were a nightmare.

"That's the way these organizations work. They saw her as a threat and they didn't want her to leak any information," replied November Eleven.

"Li-kun is going to be upset about her death. He seemed to be really good friends with her."

"Misaki, I don't want you going near that boy anymore. He's dangerous."

"Dangerous? Li-kun? Oh, don't tell me you still think he could be BK-201?" she asked, but doubted herself while remembering her nightmare and the recent encounter she had with him.

"Hai. To begin with, he is a friend of this Kara girl. He also injured his hand after I had gotten into a fist fight with BK-201."

"He's not him!" she screamed, not wanting to believe Li would kill anyone. "I saw them together at the electronics store, or have you forgotten that?"

"No, I haven't. I'm still pondering over that. However, you have to agree with me that he is more than a Chinese transfer student, Misaki. Not to mention his Japanese is flawless."

Misaki looked at November without replying to his comment. Why did he keep bringing this up? Li-kun can't be BK-201. Not her sweet, charming and handsome man that she was falling for. She began to think about the kiss she had shared, and wished she could go back to that moment.

"Misaki, you love him, don't you?"

Misaki's eyes widened, as her cheeks burned bright red, and her heart pounded briskly from embarrassment. She looked away from him and babbled, "St—stop… joking."

"I'm not joking, Misaki."

She stared up at him dumbfounded that he wasn't playing one of his games, and averted her eyes from him as she muttered, "We—we're just… friends."

November Eleven stared at her for a second, and then said, "Be careful around him. If you'll excuse me, I have to fulfill my contract."

November Eleven exited the room. Misaki pondered on November Eleven's words, then thought about Li, and imagined him smiling.

_Li's not a killer; he's not a dangerous person_. She thought to herself.

"_I know you think he is a bad man, but he is the kindest person I have met in my life, even if he is a Contractor." _Misaki remembered Kara saying.

"No. Li's not BK-201," she repeated. "Li wouldn't have killed Kara."

--

Kara woke up the next morning while putting her hand on her aching head.

"Where am I?" she wondered.

"You're in a safe place," replied a female voice.

Kara looked towards the voice. Sitting on a chair was a girl with silver long hair wearing a black dress. She then realized she was in the same hotel room that Hei had brought her to earlier.

"Who are you?" Kara asked.

"Yin," replied the girl. "Hei is sorry he couldn't be here with you. He wanted to make sure the Syndicate didn't get suspicious, so he asked me to stay with you while he went back to his normal routine."

"Asked you? Who are you? Are you a friend?"

"Hai," she replied while holding her lip up with her finger to form a smile. "Hei helped me, and now I'm returning the favor. I'm happy he didn't kill you."

Kara looked down and noticed she was wearing Hei's black trench coat over her hospital gown.

"I still need to repay the favor," she said.

She started wondering what she could do, and then thought about maybe getting Misaki and him to realize they liked each other.

"Hei and I are happy to see your wound is all right," said Yin. "Hei didn't want to have to take you back to the hospital incase a Syndicate member found out. He bought some clothes for you. They're in the closet."

Yin stood to leave the room.

"Thank you," replied Kara, as Yin opened the door. "Wait, Hei's jacket."

"He's at the park by his apartment," replied Yin, as she left.

--

Hei sat on the round bench at the park thinking about last night. He felt bad about having to hold Misaki hostage, but he was grateful he had spent the time dulling out one of his blades incase he would have to. If Misaki found out the truth about his identity, would she forgive him for the torture he had put her through?

A part of him wished he could just rip the mask off in front of her so he could stop pretending, hold her in his arms again, and kiss her. The other half felt she couldn't forgive him in which made him hope that Misaki hadn't seen his face when November Eleven smashed his mask. Every time he saw someone walk by he imagined it was Misaki aiming her gun and holding her handcuffs to slap on his wrists.

"Hello, Hei," said a voice at the entrance.

Hei looked over and saw Kara smiling at him. She was wearing a short black miniskirt, a dark blue form-fitting jacket over a white graphic t-shirt, and black knee high boots. Her long black hair was tied back in a ponytail with a few strands hanging in front.

"What are you doing here?" he asked displeased, as she walked over to him. "It's too dangerous. If the Syndicate…"

"That Yin girl told me where I could find you," she interrupted. "She said it was clear."

"Yin did? Why?"

"I never got a chance to really thank you," she said, as she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Hei looked at her shocked. "Thank you. I really wish there was some way I could repay you for your kindness."

Hei smiled.

"And thanks for the clothes," chimed Kara. "You did a great job picking them out. I really like them."

"A lady at the store helped me," replied Hei, pleased to see they fit.

Kara dropped a backpack on the ground, opened it, and pulled out Hei's trench coat to hand it to him. "I also wanted to return this to you. It was very warm."

Hei looked at it baffled.

"I asked Yin to bring it back to me once you changed," he said.

"She's a very sweet girl," said Kara. "Hei, I know the Syndicate gave you the order to kill me, and I really thought you did, but why didn't you?"

"I couldn't kill someone who asked for my help," he simply said.

Kara smiled at his comment while saying, "You really are a strange Contractor, Hei."

"So where do you plan on going from here?"

"I'm thinking about going back to America. I really like it over there. Though I won't be able to see any of my old friends."

"I wish you a safe trip."

"Thank you. Don't forget to tell Misaki how you feel," she smiled.

Hei returned it.

"Li-kun!" Hei heard someone shout at the front of the park.

He craned his neck around and stared on shocked to see Misaki walking towards them. He quickly sat on his trench coat, and prayed Misaki hadn't seen it. Kara rounded the tree and sat on the bench with her back to them to hide her face from view. Hei shivered with fear that she might have seen his face last night, and his visions of Misaki coming to arrest him were coming true. He then began to worry about her noticing his coat.

"Misaki-san? What brings you by?" he asked while trying to put on an innocent and happy face.

Misaki walked up to stand before him. Her facial feature showed an unpleasant expression, as she kept on gazing away from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Li-kun," began Misaki. Hei tensed with paranoia. She had indeed come to arrest him, and it was hard on her to do such a thing. "I'm sorry but… but I…"

"What's the matter, Misaki-san?" Hei asked, as sweat poured down his face.

"It's… It's about last night," she continued. He and Kara readied themselves to run. "You're friend…"

Misaki glanced over at Kara; finally noticing someone else was present. She looked back at Hei, but then her attention shifted to Kara again, as she became overwhelmed with shock.

"KARA!!" said Misaki flabbergasted. "How on earth…?" Misaki shut her mouth quickly, so that she wouldn't ask her how she was still alive, and appear as a buffoon in front of Hei.

"What are you doing here?" she asked instead, trying to hide her shock.

"I've come by to say goodbye to my friend. I'm going back home," she replied. "Thanks again for all your help at school, Li."

Hei smiled back at her. She returned it and hurried out of the park.

"Wait, hold up!" yelled Misaki, and chased her around the corner.

--

Misaki caught up to Kara and reached out her hand to grab her by the arm to stop her. Kara looked back at her startled.

"How are you still alive?" demanded Misaki. "Why didn't he kill you?"

"I told you, Kirihara-san. He's not a bad man."

Misaki stared at Kara lost for words as she let go of Kara. Kara turned around and began to walk away. BK-201 really did care for this girl in order to help fake her own death so that this Syndicate wouldn't hunt her down. No doubt that if they found out they would kill him.

However, all of it didn't make sense? He was a Contractor, a killing machine. It wasn't logical for him to stick out his own neck for her.

"Oh, Kirihara-san. Li likes you!" yelled Kara over her shoulder.

Misaki blushed at her comment as she watched Kara walk off in the distance. Did Li really like her? He never spent that much time around her. The only other time they had been alone had been erased from his memory, and whenever she thought about it, she felt like the Syndicate had stabbed a knife through her heart.

_Misaki, I don't want you going near that boy anymore, he's dangerous. _November Eleven's words barged into her mind.

Misaki frowned, as she pondered on the day when BK-201 stood before Li, and wondered if perhaps it had been planned out. It was possible, but she didn't want to believe it.

She shook away the thought and headed back into the park to see Li was lying on the bench with his hands behind his head. He sat up and smiled at Misaki, as she approached him.

"Misaki-san, you seem a little upset? Are you all right?" he asked.

"Hai, I'm fine."

"So what were you going to tell me?"

Misaki looked at him lost for words. She had come here to tell him that his friend had passed away, but she was still alive and she had come by to chat with Li. She worked her brain drastically at what to say, as she thought of the simplest things; like nice weather, he's looking good today, or how's school, but she didn't know what to ask first.

Suddenly Li's stomach growled loudly. Li looked at her embarrassed, which caused Misaki to stare at him flabbergasted, and then made her burst out into laughter. Li looked at her shocked, but he too began to chuckle. At least she knew what she was going to say to him now.

"How about that rain check," she said while smiling.

"Hai, I would love to."

_It can't be true. _Misaki thought, as she walked out of the park with Li.

--

To be continued...

--

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. :)


	10. Follow Your Heart

DTB A Heart is not Black

Chapter Ten: Follow Your Heart

--

Misaki ran into a building where July had located November Eleven. The lobby was ten meters squared and had no ceiling, which showed the building's ten floors. A bright blue light highlighted the top level, informing Misaki BK201 was present. She quickly ran into an elevator with April and July behind her. She was gambling at reaching the top level using it, figuring his ability could knock out the power and trap her, April and July in it. However, it was the quickest way to keep anything from happening to November Eleven.

As soon as the elevator reached the top floor, she ran over to a door and flung it opened. She was surprised to see BK-201 kneeling on the ground with his head bent downwards. She wondered why he was kneeling there, but she figured he might have been injured in a duel. Suddenly November Eleven's well being didn't matter to her anymore.

_S_he aimed her rifle at him. There was no way she would let him escape this time.

"Don't move! Lay flat on your stomach and put your hands slowly on the floor," she demanded.

BK-201 glared over his shoulder and stared at Misaki.

"NOW!" Misaki yelled.

Suddenly she noticed his mask was broken around his eyes, which caused her to wince at them.

_It can't be, _she thought, as she slowly tried to approach him to get a closer look. _It's not possible. Please tell me I'm only seeing things. I've stared at them plenty of times_, _but_ _they can't be those midnight blue eyes. _

Before she knew it, April had grabbed her arm to hold her back, as someone fired a flare. They looked away from the flash and held their hands above their eyes to keep from being blinded.

When the flash disappeared, BK-201 was gone. Misaki noticed Dr. Schrader and ran over to help him, but he seemed to be in a state of shock. Misaki started to look around for November Eleven, but there were no signs of him.

She glanced over at July and asked, "Where is he?"

"He's not here anymore," he simply said.

Misaki wondered where he had walked off to this time.

--

Yin spoke through an earpiece to guide Hei towards a back entrance with Mao trailing behind. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed.

Hei placed his hand on his broken mask and removed it since it was becoming annoying with pieces cracking to fall onto the ground, or into his eye. He almost had Amber, but the voice calling out to him stopped him. Was that his sister, or was it his imagination? Why did he have to let that moment affect him with Amber in front of him? He could have had her explain everything to him. Right now wasn't the time to think about it. The police department would be here soon in full force.

He arrived at the back door and came to a halt, causing Mao to plow into his right calf.

"Hey, what's the deal?" bellowed Mao. "We need to get out of here!"

"Yin, are the police here yet?" Hei asked through a microphone while ignoring Mao.

"_No, Hei. They are not here,_" she replied.

Hei kicked open the back door to run out into the back alley and hurried down it.

He was happy that Huang had decided to help, because if he didn't, he might be in handcuffs and heading towards the Foreign Affairs escorted by Misaki. He began to think of the reaction she had showed while she pointed her gun at him and believed she might have recognized him. He wondered if she would be making a personal visit to Li's place to slap on her handcuffs. Hei figured it would be best to stay away from it for a while.

"How's that hand, MR. 201-BK?" someone asked.

Hei jumped from surprise and looked toward another alley where the voice had come from. Walking out of an alley was November Eleven. Hei quickly grabbed one of his knives and got into a fighting stance, as he glared angrily at him.

"Don't worry, Mr. 201-BK. I didn't come here to fight you. I have something more important I have to take care of."

Hei continued to stare at him with his piercing blue eyes while he readied for any kind of an attack.

"I can't believe I'm about to ask this of you, but I need you to do something for me," continued November Eleven. Hei's eyes twitched from confusion, as he held onto his composure. "Big things are going to happen, and a lot of people may be killed."

"What do you want from me?" Hei asked.

"I don't know if you realize this, but Misaki likes you a lot, the Li Shengshun side of you." Hei stared at him dumbfounded. "She is going to be heartbroken when she finds out that Li is a lie."

"I figured that on my own. What is it that you want from me?" Hei repeated.

"I don't know how, but I can tell perfectly well that you too have feelings for her. It's not logical for a Contractor to act on his emotions, but I always thought there was something special about you, Mr. 201-BK, no, I mean, Li Shengshun. Please keep protecting her like you always have."

November Eleven smiled and walked off. Mao came up from behind looking at him puzzled.

"That's an interesting request from a Contractor," said Mao. "Maybe it's because of what Amber had told him?"

Hei watched him walk off into the distance, as he wondered what his true intentions were, but then thought he might know something about Amber's plans.

"Where is she, where's my sister?" shouted Hei.

November Eleven stopped to look back over his shoulder and asked, "Sister?"

"You met with Amber. Did she mention anything about Bai?"

"Sorry, but she didn't," November replied while turning his head back around.

He walked off while holding his right hand up waving goodbye.

Hei watched until November Eleven disappeared around the corner. Hei turned on his heels and headed off in the opposite direction. He didn't know what kind of scheme November Eleven was cooking up, and he couldn't believe he was letting him go. He knew the MI-6 agent would tell Misaki he was BK-201, if she didn't already know after their last encounter. He should be running after him and putting a blade between those blue eyes.

Hei continued walking down back alleys. Suddenly Hei heard something from above and looked up to see a staircase falling down towards him. He quickly rolled to the other side of the alley, as the emergency metal staircase crashed where he had stood.

He heard another noise above and looked up to see a second staircase falling. Hei quickly ran forward as it crashed next to the other one.

"You're quick, BK-201," a female's voice said above him.

Hei gazed upwards to see a petite woman standing on the roof. She was dressed in a red leather jacket and tight red leather pants with chin length black hair.

He snatched one of his blades and threw it at the female. She highlighted in blue as her eyes turned red. Hei watched as his blade turned into liquid and dripped like rain to the ground.

"I'm sorry, but your weapons are useless against me. Too bad my little surprise attack didn't work on you. I'll see you around, cutie." She said as she walked out of Hei's view.

Hei flung his wire to hook it to an electrical pole and recoiled up onto the roof. The petite woman was about to enter a door, which forced him to throw his cable and try to wrap it around her neck, but it instead liquefied and dripped as blood along the ground.

The woman looked over her shoulder at Hei.

"You aren't very smart, are you?" she said. "Didn't I tell you your weapons are useless against me?"

She turned blue again as her eyes burned red. Hei went to grab his other knife, but he felt it melt as he grabbed it.

"It's too bad I can't fight you one on one," she continued. "I know how much you would love to electrocute me. Bye, bye for now." She slammed the door behind her.

Hei ran after her and barged through the door where a metal staircase waited. He held up himself from charging down it, kneeled while placing his hand on the stairs, and sent an electrical shock through the metal. Unfortunately, he didn't hear her cry out in agony.

"Nice try," he heard her yell from below.

Hei gazed down and noticed a portion of the stairs was missing. The section below was drenched in metallic liquid, indicating she had liquefied that area to disconnect his ground source.

Hei cursed, knowing there was no way to get to her without his cable. He ran back onto the roof and prayed there was an emergency staircase she hadn't liquefied.

He found one on the other side. Before he stepped onto the staircase, he looked around hoping that the Contractor wasn't still around to liquefy the staircase. He didn't see any signs of her in which he decided to head down. As he stepped onto the second section the stairs turned into liquid. Hei cursed but quickly held out his arm to grab a hold of a window ledge.

"You really are quick," the Contractor shouted in the distance. Hei looked around for her, but since her voice was echoing off the walls, he couldn't locate her. "Have fun trying to get down."

Hei cursed again while pulling himself up onto the window ledge. To his luck, the window was closed. He broke the window with his right fist, unhooked the latch, and entered to see a young lady blinking at him dumbfounded.

"NO, THIEF!! SOMEONE HELP!!" she screamed.

Suddenly she began to throw books, plates, lamps and anything else that wasn't bolted down at Hei. He dodged and ducked his way over to her front door, and as he was about to exit the apartment, a frying pan struck the back of his head and made a ding sound. He stumbled a bit out of the room, and slammed the door shut as a kitchen knife spun towards him, and poked through the door centimeters from his face.

Hei stared at it flabbergasted. It would have been embarrassing if a citizen had killed off the infamous Black Reaper with a measly kitchen knife.

He turned away from the door and smiled to see these stairs were made out of concrete. He headed down it and left the building. He headed back towards his apartment while keeping a close eye out for trouble. He knew going back to his apartment would be a mistake, but he would rather take his chances with Misaki than try to fight another Contractor without his weapons.

--

Hei made it back to his apartment without a hitch. He reached out his hand to open his door, but he found it unlocked. He slowly opened it, cautiously walked into his dark room looking around it, and felt a sense of danger embedding from behind him. He turned around to see a shadowed figure holding something above his head. As the intruder swung his arm downward, Hei quickly grabbed it to fling the person over his shoulder, and pushed his body against the floor face down. Hei held the intruder's arm behind his back and pressed upward on it to induce pain.

"Who are you?" Hei demanded.

"Hei, is that you?" said a female voice in pain.

He looked onward shocked, as he recognized the intruder. It couldn't be. He released his hold on her, stood up, and went to turn on a light to see whom it was.

"Kara?" Hei asked ecstatically, as he wondered why she was still in Tokyo. He hoped she hadn't brought along any trouble with her.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Hei," began Kara, as she looked toward the floor while frowning.

"What are you doing here? You where suppose to get out of town," said Hei.

His blood was boiling from Kara being in his apartment, and he hoped that one of the Syndicate's lackeys hadn't spotted her and followed her here.

Kara looked up and smiled at Hei.

"It's good to see you too, Hei," she said.

"Kara, stop stalling and answer me," he said while glaring angrily at her.

"Well, I couldn't leave without seeing Tokyo first," she smiled. Hei looked at her flabbergasted. "I mean, I haven't been here for ages and I just wanted to enjoy my homeland for awhile before I went back to the States."

"You've been risking your life just for that? What if the Syndicate finds you? They'll kill you, and not to mention, me as well for helping you."

Kara's smile turned into a frown again, as she stared toward the ground not answering him.

"Kara, what happened?"

Kara ran up into Hei's arms and began crying. "I'm so sorry, Hei."

Hei held her for a few seconds before he pushed her at arms length to look into her waterlogged eyes.

"Kara," he said softly, "what happened?"

Kara looked away from his eyes, as she said, "I'm so sorry, Hei, I've put your life in danger. They found me."

"Nani!"

"Two days ago I was attacked by a few agents while I was walking around my old neighborhood. I guess one of their agents had found me. I managed to escape and have been running from them since."

Hei looked at her astounded she was still alive. She was lucky they hadn't sent any of their Contractors after her.

"Then why did you come here? It's too dangerous. They know I helped you and they will be coming after me now."

Kara looked toward the ground unable to answer him.

"There's something else going on, right?" Hei asked.

Kara continued to look at the ground.

"Answer me, Kara. What does the Syndicate know?"

Kara didn't look up, as she said, "I don't know how they know," she raised her head up, "but your girlfriend's life is in danger too."

Hei stood there stunned and mumbled, "Misaki?"

"They know she has the stone."

Hei quickly went into his closet, opened a loose board, grabbed a knife and wire, and then ran out of his apartment with Kara following him.

--

A man with a brown jacket and red and blue baseball cap sat on a bench surrounded by trees in a park.

"She got away again, sir," said the man into his phone. "She doesn't look it, but she is quick on her feet. Do you want us to go for the other girl?"

"_We already made arrangements for her. They truly don't know the real power of that stone," _said the voice on the other end.

"Are they sure she has it?"

"_Yes, we saw Kara give it to her at the temple. BK-201 was there to help."_

"BK-201? Should we send someone after him too?"

"_We already sent someone to take care of him. He was always more trouble than he's worth. He was just muscle power for us, and the Syndicate has no further use for him or his partners. We also found out that he met with Amber, and who knows what she had told him. His power is what caused the tragedy in South America, and he's the only thing that can spoil our plans. He is to be taken care of by tomorrow night."_

"So they are putting their plan in motion?"

"Hai."

"Why wait till the last minute to get the stone then?"

"_We thought it was best Officer Kirihara kept it safe for us."_

"Do you want us to continue our search for the other girl?"

"_There's no need to, all we need is the stone to stop EPR's dolls. If we succeed with our plans, the information she knows will be useless anyway. But if you happen to see her walking by though, by all means, take care of her."_

--

Hei ran over to Misaki's apartment still in his black coat, pants and shirt. He opened the door and entered it with Kara behind him to see there had been a struggle. There were pieces of paper and her couch cushions scattered along the floor. Cabinet, refrigerator and stove doors were left open with food and kitchen items thrown everywhere. In Misaki's bedroom, drawers were pulled out with clothes scattered around, her bed covers were torn off, and her mattress thrown from its frame.

"I'm sorry, Hei. I should have come here first to worn her," said Kara. "Because of it, Misaki's been kidnapped."

"It's not your fault," he replied. He was more upset with himself for getting her involved. He should have been here to protect her.

"Do you think they found what they were looking for, Hei?" Kara asked.

"I'm not sure."

"This is all my fault. I've caused you and Kirihara-san so much trouble. I hope she's still alive. Where do you think they have taking her?"

"I don't know," he said upset, as he hoped she was still alive.

They heard some noises outside Misaki's door. Hei moved to stand behind it while pulling out one of his knives from his weapons holster, as Kara entered the bathroom to hide. The door opened. A big man in a business suit entered the room with a black-skinned lady wearing a pink coat and a fuzzy collar, as she held a young boy's hand. Hei recognized the MI-6 agents and the Foreign Affair's buffoon, Saitou.

"Nani? What happened here?" Saitou asked dumbfounded.

Hei needed to escape with Kara, but the door was blocked, and the balcony would be a stupid move to try for. He thought about electrocuting them to knock them out, but the last thing he needed was the Foreign Affairs pinning Misaki's kidnapping on him. He instead calmly crept around to the kitchen area, and ducked behind the half wall next to her stove. Hei cursed at his stupidity for not grabbing another mask out of his closet before he had left his apartment. He removed his black coat and weapons and hid them in a cabinet. Incase Saitou did spot him; Hei could try to play things off as Li. He figured it would work on Saitou, but he wasn't too sure the MI-6 agents would.

"It looks like July was right about Misaki being in trouble," said April.

July squatted and placed his hand on a broken glass.

"Oi, don't do that, you'll cut yourself," said Saitou.

A spectre popped up around the room on other shattered glass, and then appeared in front of Hei. Hei tried to ignore it as he figured July was going to give up his position.

"There's someone here," said July softly.

April and Saitou looked at each other shocked, which caused Saitou to draw his gun, and scanned the apartment while walking over to the kitchen. April grabbed a lamp that was lying on the floor to use as a weapon, and headed for the bedroom. July stood still by the door.

Hei cursed July for being a Doll, and believed Kara and he would be caught because of the twit. Hei grabbed one of Misaki's kitchen knives, and sat in the corner to look scared that a burglar had broken into the apartment.

Saitou walked up the step to the kitchen and, at the corner of his left eye, saw Hei.

Saitou pointed his gun at him and yelled, "Freeze, Police. Slowly put your hands up and drop the weapon."

Shock overwhelmed Saitou's face when Hei raised his head and hands looking scared.

"Li-kun?" questioned Saitou.

"Saitou-san?" said Hei, looking at him with a blank stare.

"What are you doing here?" they said together, as April came back.

Hei stood up as he began to try to think of an answer. He saw some takeout on Misaki's counter and said, "I was just here to deliver some takeout, but when I got here, the door was cracked open and I walked in to find this mess."

"Take out?" questioned Saitou.

"Hai," Hei replied while placing his hand on the back of his head, and looked downward embarrassed.

"You work at a restaurant around here?"

"Hai?"

"You need to find some better jobs, Li-kun," said Saitou while laughing, but then took in Li's appearance. "That's some unusual dress attire for a take out restaurant. If I didn't know you, Li-kun, I would have thought you were the burglar."

Hei embarrassedly smiled at Saitou while scratching the back of his head. April glared at Li, as if she was trying to remember were she had seen him.

"Li, Li. Ah, you're not by any chance Misaki's boyfriend, are you?" she asked.

Saitou looked at her with a hurt expression, as Hei blinked at her dumbfounded.

"Boyfriend?" Saitou asked.

"November said there was a young man named Li that had stolen Misaki's heart. I thought he was just joking, but now that I have met you I can see he wasn't." Saitou looked towards the ground depressed, as Hei's cheeks burned red from embarrassment. "I'm a little surprised, though. She seemed to put her career above her love life. But I can see why, you are very cute." April went over to Hei to stare at his cherry-red face. "Ah, so cute, he's blushing."

"April, we don't have time for this," spoke up Saitou, jealousy now flowing heavily from his voice. "We need to find the Chief before something happens to her."

"Chief?" questioned Hei. "Is this Kirihara-san's place?"

"Hai," replied Saitou.

"Like you didn't know," April teased. "Come on, Li, we're cops, you can't lie to us. You were coming over to spend the night with her, weren't you?"

Hei's eyes widened, as his cheeks burned a brighter red and his heart pounded briskly.

"April, that's enough," said Saitou, as his jealousy grew more. He looked at Hei. "She's been kidnapped, Li-kun."

"Kidnapped?" said Hei looking concerned. "Is there something I can help with?"

"No, Li-kun, just leave it up to the Police," replied Saitou while patting Hei's head. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "How much for the Chief's food, Li-kun?"

"Eh?" questioned Hei looking dumbfounded.

"Here's 2000 yen, hopefully that will cover it." Saitou left the room with April and July following.

As April exited, she smiled back at Hei and said, "Good luck, Li, Misaki's a tough one."

After she closed the door Kara barged out of the bathroom.

"That girl, April, is right, Li-kun," she teased.

Hei tried to ignore her but his cheeks turned as red as a rose. He quickly turned around, hiding his emotions, and walked back over to Misaki's kitchen to gather his stuff out of the cabinet. He couldn't put his trust in the police locating Misaki. He was determined to find her himself.

He turned around and gestured for Kara to follow him out of the apartment.

--

Kara smiled at him and said, "He's so in love."

She followed him out of the apartment. Things were going to be interesting for Misaki and Hei. She hoped they would be able to have a future.

--

Hei and Kara arrived back at his apartment to find Yin kneeling on the middle of the floor.

"Hei, I found her," said Yin. Hei stared at her shocked while waiting for her to tell him where. "She's in a warehouse, 33554 Satori Street.

Hei winced, knowing that she was talking about the warehouse not too far from his apartment. The Syndicate had used it for their other jobs for storage. They took her there because there were no windows, mirrors, sinks or electrical lines to keep out observer spirits. The only thing that was powering the place was a generator.

"Yin, how were you able to find her?" he asked puzzled.

"A guard brought a can of soda with him," replied Yin.

He frowned. Apparently, they were stupid and getting careless, or they were trying to lead Hei into a trap. Hei went into his closet to pull out one of his masks.

"Kara, please stay here, you too, Yin," ordered Hei. "That place doesn't have enough water around there for you to help me."

"No way, Hei, I'm coming," screamed out Kara.

"No, it's too dangerous."

"I can take care of myself. I'm the one who got her into this, I need to help her."

"Kara, no. Stay here," he repeated.

"And how do you plan on getting her out of the warehouse? She doesn't exactly trust you. She might even arrest you once you are in the clear, or maybe just simply grab a hold of that mask of yours and rip it off."

"I'll think of something. Just stay here."

Hei walked out of his apartment.

--

Misaki sat in a chair with her arms tied up behind it. She had a blindfold over her eyes and her mouth was taped shut. She heard someone walking up to her, grab what sounded like a chair screeching along the floor, and sat down.

"Do you know why you are here, Officer Kirihara?" a man's voice asked.

Misaki shook her head.

"You have been entrusted with a certain item from a woman who worked for us. We would like you to return it to us. Tell us where you hid it, and no harm will come to you."

How did they find out she had it? Misaki began to curse BK-201 in her head for getting her mixed up in all this. If she died here, she planned to haunt him for the rest of his life, and she hoped most of it was behind bars.

"Will you tell us?"

Misaki shook her head.

"Maybe your own life is not important, but how about your partners? Could you risk their lives for some stupid stone?"

Misaki's eyes twitched at his comment, as anger built up inside her. She began rocking back and forth in the chair while screaming, her voice mumbled from the tape around her mouth.

"If that's not enough, how about your friends, what are their names. Let's see. Kanami and Li?"

Misaki's anger rose. There was a possibility Li was a lie, and that could be the reason why she was in this mess. He could take care of himself if that were the case, but Kanami was innocent. She had nothing to do with this.

"So how about it, Kirihara. Where's the stone?" The man's voice became crueler. She didn't respond, which irritated the man, and made him punch Misaki across her face. She winced in pain. "Where's the stone?" He screamed.

She didn't give in to his demand, infuriating the man, and having him continuously punch her while repeating the same question. To his frustration, Misaki still refused to tell him.

"Curse you, Officer Kirihara," he barked. "You want to play hard ball. Fine! Send JR-546 out to take care of her friends."

Misaki's eyes lit up, as she screamed out again while crying and nodding her head.

"Will you tell us where it is?"

She nodded again.

The man went to grab the tape on her mouth to rip it off. Suddenly Misaki could hear gunfire and screams coming from outside.

"What was that?" another voice screamed out.

"Go check it out," said the man's voice that was interrogating her.

Misaki could hear what sounded like the power going out in the building.

"Ah," he said. "It looks like your hero has arrived."

Misaki winced at the man's comment. Who could be her hero? If Saitou had found her, she would hear sirens and police officers shouting you're surrounded. If it were November Eleven, she would probably hear some kind of rainstorm from April's ability. However, she heard neither.

"Sir, it's the Black Reaper, isn't it," said another voice sounding startled with a hint of panic. "How did he find her?"

There was silence before the man replied, "Where did you get that soda?"

"I was thirsty so I walked down to a vending machine…"

"You idiot, I told everyone no beverages. That doll is working with him."

"Nani? It is the Black Reaper!" said the other man, his voice sounding more terrified. "What should we do?"

"We have our orders to kill him and his partners. The Syndicate has no further use for them."

Misaki couldn't believe BK-201 had come to rescue her. It couldn't be true. Why would he, a Contractor, go against his own organization? It wasn't logical. Moreover, why would they kill their best Contractor?

--

Hei ran towards the warehouse while men approached him, as they shot their guns. He threw up his left arm to deflect the bullets off his jacket. He flung his wire at a gun, wrapping it around the barrel, and sent electricity through it. The man screamed out in pain while shaking vigorously, and then fell to the ground as his eyes rolled up into his socket. Another man charged at him and kicked at Hei's face, but Hei grabbed it, and electrocuted him to have him repeat his partner's actions.

Other men continued to fire their guns at Hei from above him, as he ran down the side of the warehouse looking for an entrance. Hei swung his wire upward and recoiled up to the roof. He flung his wire at them, grabbing theirs arms that were holding the guns, and shocked them.

"Not bad, BK-201," said someone. Hei turned around to see a shirtless man three times his size, built out of nothing but muscles. He was bald, wore black sweat shorts, and boxing gloves. "How 'bout a round, fist-to-fist. No kicks."

Hei raised his hands up into a fighting gesture. The shirtless man grinned and jabbed with a right. Hei titled his head right, moved left to avoid a left jab, and then ducked from a right hook. Hei performed an uppercut and connected with his opponent's jaw to have him stumble back. The shirtless man smiled as he swung with a right hook to cause a blue wave shock to sore at Hei. Hei rolled out of the way and stopped in a kneeling position, as the wave crashed into the back wall.

"I thought only fists?" stated Hei.

"I did use only my fist," defended the shirtless man. "My fist made the wave."

The shirtless man swung his left arm to create another wave. Hei ducked under it, and then rolled out of the path of another one that was formed from an uppercut. The ground shook slightly, as the waves pummeled the walls, and caused pieces of concrete or metal to fall.

Having enough of the game, Hei threw his wire at the shirtless man to wrap it around his neck, and shocked him. The shirtless man dropped to his knees while grabbing the line, and glared at Hei.

"You cheated," he said.

"Nani? I used my fist to fling the wire," stated Hei, and sent a higher voltage through the line.

Hei recoiled himself back down to the ground, found a door, and quickly opened it. When he opened it he saw Misaki sitting in a chair in the middle of the empty warehouse tied up. A man in a brown jacket with a red and blue baseball cap on stood next to her. Hei grabbed his blades and began to make his way towards Misaki while four other men appeared from around metal pillars and shot at him.

Hei rolled out of the bullets' path, whipped out his wire to wrap it around a guard's wrist, and yanked it to have him shoot his partner next to him. Hei used the distraction and threw his blade to strike the fourth guard, and pulled on the wire to have the first guard shoot the third man. The first guard looked on shocked, and then shook in agony after Hei shocked him.

--

Misaki heard more screams and gunfire that seemed to get closer. She then heard electrocution sounds echo in the distance. Moments later she heard a door open, as more guns were being fired in the building and screams encircled her.

Someone came up from behind her and put what felt like a gun to the back of her head.

"That's far enough, BK-201," said the man. "Put down your weapons or I will kill her."

It became quiet to where Misaki heard the man's finger pressing lightly on the trigger. Fear overwhelmed her insides concerning her own life. She figured BK-201 would do something rational, but she was startled to hear him drop what sounded like his knife.

"The other one too," her captor demanded.

Misaki heard the other knife drop, as she felt the man release his hold on the trigger. The man began to untie the rope that held Misaki to the chair, but left the rope tied around her arms alone. He wrapped his free arm around her neck and kept his gun pointed at the back of her head. He forced her to her feet and guided her out of the building.

"Don't make any sudden moves, or I will put a bullet in her pretty head."

"Let her go!" screamed BK-201. "Take me instead."

"Oh, it sounds very tempting, BK-201, but I think I already have the prize I want, and I don't need you electrocuting me."

"I won't let you get away with this! If you kill her, I will hunt you down."

"I think you should worry about your own life since the Syndicate will come after you. You better watch your own back."

Misaki couldn't believe what BK-201 was saying. Was that really him? He was about to give up his life for hers. Was that really Li-kun under that mask? She wanted to scream out his name, but feared the man might get startled and actually pull the trigger.

_Li-kun,_ _please save me_.

Misaki could hear the man open a door as they carefully backed out through it. She then heard a banging noise, felt the man let go of her, and fall to the floor.

"Kirihara-san, are you alright?" Misaki heard a female voice respond, as someone removed the blindfold. She turned around to see Kara standing before her while she put her hand on the tape, and ripped it off her mouth.

"Ouch!" cried Misaki. "Kara, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to the States?"

Kara smiled at her while she said, "I'm glad to see you're alright."

Misaki then turned around to look at where she was. She noticed many bodies lying on the floor inside some dark warehouse. She then saw BK-201 standing in the middle of them staring at her.

"BK…2...0…1?" muttered Misaki flabbergasted. She quickly regained her composure and glared at him. "Why would you, a Contractor, risk your life to save me?"

"I had asked that too," said Kara.

Misaki looked toward her stunned. "You did?"

Kara repeated what she had told BK-201.

"See, I told you he wasn't a bad man," smiled Kara.

Misaki glanced back at BK-201 to see he had disappeared. She thought about their encounter a few hours ago. That beautiful and bright midnight blue eye; there was no mistaking it since she had stared at it countless of times. It was Li's.

"Li-kun," she muttered, as she noticed Kara looked at her with a smile.

That explains why she came to her with the stone, and why BK-201 had saved her. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel hurt or betrayed. She didn't understand the reason why, but she still wanted to run up and embrace him. He's a Contractor who had obviously been lying to her and she should be heartbroken. She had so many questions to ask him now. Did he truly have feelings for her, or was everything an act?

Misaki heard police sirens off in the distance. They must have tracked BK-201's star.

"Kara, you need to get out of here," stated Misaki.

"But, what about you?"

"I'll be all right."

"Hai, thank you, Kirihara-san."

"No, Kara. Thank you very much for coming to help me."

"It's the least I could do since I got you into this mess in the first place." Kara smiled. "Take care."

"Kara. If you see BK-201, could you please thank him for me?"

Kara looked at her flabbergasted, but then smiled at her again, as she said, "You can tell him the next time you see him. And don't forget to tell him how you feel."

Misaki looked at her baffled.

"But he's a Contrac…"

"Tell him, Kirihara-san," smiled Kara, as Misaki stared at her stunned by her words. Kara then turned around to leave.

_I need to see Li_, Misaki thought.

--

The next morning Misaki had received a call from April that November Eleven had passed away. She quickly put on some make up to hide the bruises that had developed on her face from her captor striking her, and headed over to the scene.

Once Misaki reached the scene, she awed at it and began to think of the last words he had mentioned to her.

_Don't go by anyone's appearance, friend or enemy. Act solely on your own instinct._

She believed there was something he found out about the mysterious organization that had kidnapped her last night. She was pleased that April had mourned for November Eleven, and Misaki believed that that was enough for April to be human.

When April and July left Misaki, she realized she didn't have any flowers for him.

---

Later that day, after meeting with Hourai concerning about November Eleven's loyalty to EPR, and dealing with Saitou and Kouno tailing her, Misaki returned to November Eleven's last stand to set a bouquet down next to some of April's beer cans beside a brick wall. She thought about how much she was going to miss his wise wisdom and jokes. It wasn't fair for someone like him to leave this world when she was getting to know him.

She said her last goodbye and began to walk down a set of brick stairs that zigzagged to a sidewalk below. She stopped about halfway down the first set when she noticed Li-kun passing by on the sidewalk. She was happy to see him since she had many questions to ask him, but as she took in his feature, she noticed he seemed depressed. If he were BK-201, why would he look like that? Contractors don't act on emotions, and yet she could tell that something was troubling him. Li noticed her in which he looked up at her, gave her a quick unsettling nod, and then continued on his path.

"Li-kun?"

Misaki quickly ran down the stairs to catch him. She's wanted to see him since last night and she wasn't about to let him go.

"Wait!" she cried out, as she grabbed him by the arm. Half of Misaki wanted to take her handcuffs and slap them on his wrist to bring him in for questioning, and the other half wanted to slam him up against the wall, hold him in her arms, and kiss him again.

The shock in his eyes when he turned around caught her off guard, and she found herself asking instead, "Ah, um. Are you hungry?"

Li blinked at her wordlessly.

"Ah, huh?"

--

Hei was stunned by her question, but he felt relieved that she didn't recognize him from yesterday, and she wasn't throwing her handcuffs on him.

He knew it was a big mistake to be in her presence, and he should run like hell, but he couldn't pass up a meal with Misaki.

--

Misaki and Li were sitting down at a table eating teriyaki beef and rice. Li was on his twenty-fifth serving, while Misaki was close behind on her eighteenth.

"Did I really look that hungry to you?" Li asked.

He held his chopsticks in his right hand with a bowl of rice in the other, and began downing his food.

"Well, a little. The truth is you look like someone I know," said Misaki, as she stared into Li's eyes, remembering how much they resembled BK-201's eye.

Li stopped eating and widened his eyes at Misaki.

"Not a suspect you're chasing, I hope," he asked.

Misaki chocked on her food, as she placed her hand over her mouth and kept coughing. She couldn't believe he thought that, and began to wonder if he knew she knew he was BK-201.

"I was right?"

All of a sudden, Misaki felt she was a suspect.

"No, well…" Misaki began laughing, and started eating her food rapidly out of embarrassment.

"Don't move," said Li, as he tried to be serious. Misaki looked up at him startled. "Someone behind you is pointing a gun at your back."

Misaki was in a pinch, as her mind worked frantically to avoid saying he looked like BK-201. Suddenly she found herself laughing hysterically at the site of a piece of rice on his face. Her thoughts about him being BK-201 diminished.

"Come on, that wasn't convincing at all," said Misaki still laughing. _How could this man before me be BK-201_?

"Is that so?" said Li with a softer tone and tilting slightly forward.

"Because…," Misaki couldn't stop laughing.

Li picked the piece of rice on his face, stared at it upsettingly, but he looked back up at Misaki laughing, and then smiled.

--

"It's a strange feeling, when you have chased suspects for as long as I have. You develop an attachment to them," said Misaki.

"Always working aren't you?" Hei asked.

"Yes, I put in a lot of time, but after awhile you become just another face to the organization. It feels like I've lost my identity."

"Every organization is the same. They treat you like a pawn, and then dispose of you when they have no further use for you," said Hei. He had said that because he figured Misaki knew he was BK-201. He began to wonder why she hadn't thrown her cuffs on him. Was it because of how she had felt about him, but that hadn't stopped her last time. Then he remembered they had kissed after the whole incident, and maybe that was why. He put that thought behind him to enjoy the moment with her since they might not have a later.

"You might be right," said Misaki, and then ate a teriyaki steak. She looked back up at Hei. "Um, Li-kun, why did you look upset earlier?"

Hei looked up at her a little stunned by her question.

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's all right,"

"Um, it's nothing. I was just remembering the good old times I use to have with my little sister."

"Your sister? I didn't know you had a sister, Li-kun. Is she still in China with your parents?"

Hei didn't answer her, as he sat in his chair looking depressed. He missed his sister, dearly and even though she became a Contractor, he wished she were still here with him.

They finished their meal as a waiter came by with their check. They grabbed their stuff and went to go pay the bill and leave. Unfortunately, a stupid detective and a hysterical stalker who called Misaki old met them.

--

Misaki and Li headed over to some batting cages located on top of a building.

Misaki swung at a ball and hit it as Li went to swing at his, missed it, and did a 360 to drop onto his butt. Misaki started laughing hysterically at his ballerina act, causing Li to look up at her dumbfounded, and then smiled. Li had to have missed on purpose, but she didn't care since she was using it as an excuse to show him the proper way.

She exited her cage, entered his, and helped him to his feet. She stepped behind Li to brush her body up against his, took his hands with hers to hold the bat, and moved his body into batting position. His body was warm and he smelled wonderful. It felt intoxicating to be pressed up against him, remembering the last time was when they had kissed.

The ball fired from the machine; making Misaki help guide Li's arms to connect the bat with the ball. They performed the exercise six times, and on the last ball, they missed it. Li and Misaki spun around as Misaki mumbled words and tried to keep her balance, but she pulled him back too far in which she landed on her butt, and Li fell forward on top of her. Their faces were inches apart due to his arms outstretched beside Misaki to break his fall.

Li didn't move while he stared into Misaki's eyes, as Misaki laid silent looking into his. She believed he was going to kiss her, making her heart pound heavily against her chest. It felt like déjà vu all over again. A second kiss shouldn't feel like this, but ever since Li supposedly lost his memory, it seemed like it would be their first kiss again. Her cheeks began to blush as she waited patiently for him to make his move.

All of a sudden, Li stood up and glanced down at Misaki, his cheeks as red as a rose.

"Sorry, Misaki," he apologized while holding his hand down for her to help her up.

She gladly took it, but felt heart-stricken that he hadn't kissed her, and they might not get another chance. As he lifted her up, she let the momentum push her against his warm body to where she could feel his heart rapidly beating like a drum. Their eyes locked as Misaki drew closer to kiss Li.

Just as their lips were about to touch, another ball was shot out and came storming at Li's head. Misaki and Li screamed out in panic, and pushed each other away, as it passed by and missed them by inches.

"Are you all right?" Li asked.

"Hai," she replied while trying to calm her nerves.

They left the batting cages. Misaki sat on the bench exhausted while Li went to go grab a couple of Sweat waters out of a vending machine. He walked back over to her and handed Misaki one.

"Arigatou," she said while taking the drink and then holding it against her face.

"What a nice view," said Li.

"Yes," Misaki agreed. "What do you think of the city? You like it?"

"Well, I don't dislike it. It's moderately indifferent, yet moderately warm. I wasn't planning on staying as long as I have, but now I wish I could make it my home."

"I see, but this city is getting more violent by the day."

"This city is at peace compared to the tragedy my sister and I lived through."

Misaki began to think of his unsettled expression from earlier when he had said he was thinking about his sister. She wondered why he hadn't told her what was wrong with him.

"Did you live in a war zone?" she asked.

Li nodded.

"Where's your sister, is she still there?" Misaki hoped she was safe somewhere in China, but from his expression, she knew his sister wasn't.

"No, she..."

"She passed away? I'm sorry, you must have been sad."

"I wonder about that," said Li, as Misaki looked at him concerned. "A part of me might have felt relieved."

Misaki stared at Li stunned. The feelings he was embedding made her think that this was the real Li. He wasn't pretending or trying to fool anyone. She could tell he had loved his sister, and he still did, but she wondered exactly what had happened to them for him to say that.

Li saw that Misaki was done with her drink and held out his hand for it. Misaki handed it to him. Li walked over to the recycling bin and threw them away.

"Would you like to go for a walk, Misaki?" Li asked. Misaki nodded her head in reply.

They left the batting cages and headed down to the street.

"Li-kun, how long ago did your sister pass away?"

Li looked at Misaki, not answering her question at first since it seem he didn't want to talk about it, which made Misaki feel guilty for asking.

"I'm sorry, Li, I didn't mean to bring up old memories."

"Um, it's all right," he replied. "It was about five years ago."

Misaki winced, knowing that it had happened around the time when Heaven's gate had disappeared. She couldn't help but think that if Li was BK-201, then his sister was also involved with the Syndicate. However, if he was indeed a Contractor, she found it awkward that he could feel anything about a past loved one.

"You really miss her, don't you?"

"Hai," replied Li, as he looked up toward the sky.

Misaki was happy to spend time with him, even though he seemed lost. She had wanted this moment so she could confirm the feelings she was having for Li. She was lost and didn't know if she should follow her heart, or do her duty as a Foreign Affair officer. However, the strong feelings he had toward his sister, and the strong feelings she could tell he had for her, made her realize that she was going to follow her heart.

Misaki turned down a small alley that led to an open area with a wire fence separating it from homes. She walked over to a bench by some apartment buildings with the fence behind her, sat down, and looked up at the stars. Li sat next to Misaki on the bench as he too looked upward.

"Have you heard the rumor about the stars?" she asked.

"I've heard it, but I don't believe it," replied Li.

"I don't either. I didn't think anyone would."

Misaki looked up as she saw something.

"Look," she said, pointing towards a building as all its lights went out. "Is everyone going to look up at the sky until it clears up?"

"Do you want to see the stars of the past?"

"I do, but I want to show them to others even more. Then again, we won't be able to see the old stars while the new ones shine."

"They're just fakes anyway."

Misaki began to think of November Eleven and how unsettling she had felt when he had passed away. She didn't want to see that happen to anyone else, especially BK-201.

"True, but if all of those stars were to fade away, that would be sad too," said Misaki.

Misaki and Hei's fingertips were inches a part, separated by a crack in the metal, and presenting that their relationship could never become a reality due to their situation.

Her phone began to ring. She picked it up and looked at the screen to see Matsumoto was calling her. She jumped off from the bench and looked over at Li.

"I better get going," said Misaki. "Thanks for listening, I was feeling really lost. I think I was just over thinking things."

"When you're lost, you should just act on your own instinct."

Misaki winced at Li's comment, remembering November Eleven had said the same thing to her, and she was surprised to hear Li say it.

"Is something the matter?" Li asked concerned.

"Eh, no. You are right," she said while shaking her head.

Misaki really wanted to give him a kiss goodbye, but she thought it best not to since she might not leave, and Mastumoto was calling her on the emergency line. She instead held out her hand and said, "Thanks for taking me out, I had fun."

Li smiled at her.

"So did I," he said while taking her hand to shake it.

"See you later," she said, as she grabbed her purse and left.

Before she entered the small alley, she turned back around to look at Li who was staring up at the stars. She could see the same sad expression he had earlier in the day, and knew he was thinking about his sister again, knowing they where not happy thoughts. She was flabbergasted to see his eyes begin to water as a single tear dropped down his face.

--

A/N: I hope you enjoyed my version of their date. I believe Misaki knows that Li is BK-201 at that point and that is what she is thinking in the anime anyway. I tweaked it to fit my story though.

Thanks again to everyone for reading. Especially those who commented, alerted, favored, and left me a P.M.

The next chapter is going to take place after the Hell's gate incident. I've got all my chapter's after that brainstormed and it looks like there will be around 15 total.

Thank you again for reading,

Haruko :)


	11. I don’t want him to leave me

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Eleven: I don't want him to leave me

--

_The man named Li is dead. _Misaki remembered Li saying.

His words haunted her, as she drove towards his apartment. It hurt more than someone stabbing a knife in her heart. She remembered the first time she had met him, the night they had introduced each other in a toilet stall, and him saving her from Alice and Wei. Her mind reminisced of the times they had eaten together, and her staying at his place. Misaki frowned, as she figured Li had purposely pulled the trigger on November Eleven, but she couldn't keep a smile off her face. She wondered why he didn't put a bullet between his eyes.

Suddenly she touched her fingertips to her lips, as her mind reminded her of the kiss they had shared, and how warm and intoxicating it had felt. Her heart swelled with delight that he still remembered their moment, but she wondered if Li felt the way she did with him. He was a Contractor, and Contractors are known to be deceivers. In addition, if all of it was a lie, why did she still have these feelings for him?

Suddenly Misaki recalled how much Li missed his sister. She could tell he was upset about her death, but she wanted to know why he felt relieved that she had passed away. Then she remembered something Dr. Schrader had said.

_Back then the messier code BK-201 belonged to a woman._

Li's sister must have been BK-201, and that was why Li had said a part of him felt relieved. Somehow, his sister transferred her powers into him, but how? All she knew was that he was no ordinary Contractor. No other Contractor would have such strong feelings for a loved one, or risk his life to save millions of humans and Contractors.

She started thinking about the countless times he had saved her. Twice at Alice's party, the incident with LR-924 at her apartment, and the time he was sent to kill her, but he couldn't. She laughed slightly at the irony that she had stayed with the man who had been sent to kill her. He also saved her at the warehouse and recently when Hourai had tried to kill her. It made her believe that his feelings towards her were real. She wondered if he had chosen that Contractors and humans could live together so that he could be with her.

Misaki pulled up to his apartment complex. She stepped from her car and walked towards the office to knock on the door. Seconds later she was greeted by Li's Landlady.

"Eh? What is it that you want?" she asked. Misaki was about to ask if Li was around, but the old lady cut her off. "I told you already I'm not interested in a tombstone! I'm perfectly healthy, thank you!"

"Eh, I'm not here for that," said Misaki, as she waved her hands back and forth franticly.

"If you're the repair man here to fix my television, you're a year too late."

"I'm not…"

"Wait a minute! You're the police woman who helped me with that blasted cat!"

Misaki cringed from the Landlady's comment. She was going to give her a scolding for not getting Animal Control to take care of the black cat that was loitering around her place. Unexpectedly the landlady's face shined with delight, grabbed Misaki's right hand, and shook it dramatically.

"Thank you so much for getting rid of that black cat for me!" chimed the landlady. Misaki blinked at her dumbfounded. "I haven't seen that thing around for two weeks now!"

Misaki blinked at her baffled. She then smiled and said, "Eh, I was wondering if I could speak with Li, if he's in."

"Li?" questioned the landlady, as she let go of Misaki's hands. "I'm sorry to give you bad news, but Li had to go back to China."

"Eh?" Misaki wasn't shocked by the news, but she was still heart-broken from it. "Can I see his room, if nobody else had taken it yet?"

"Why? He didn't do anything wrong that made immigrations deport him, did he?"

"No, I left something behind when I stayed with him a few months back. I was wondering if I could see if it's still there."

"Sure."

She grabbed her keys and walked out the office to escort Misaki upstairs.

"It was all so sudden. I can't imagine why they'd deport such a nice young man," said the landlady, as she walked up the stairs to his room with Misaki behind her. She got to the door and began to open it. "There are so many bad Japanese people, you know."

Misaki entered Li's old apartment to see it was emptier than it had been. His futon she had laid on that night was nowhere in sight, his desk light left a circular imprint of dust on the table, and the sink seemed bare without a stack of dishes in it. Misaki didn't expect to see Li there, but she hoped to find a clue that might lead her to where he had disappeared. He wasn't only running from the Syndicate, but from her as well. She feared he thought she wanted him behind bars, but the truth is she didn't. She walked over to his balcony window and looked out at the view. It would have been beautiful scenery if it weren't for Hell's Gate obstructing the view. Suddenly a green coat caught her attention and looked down to see Li walking across the bridge. Her heart raced with excitement, hurried out of the apartment, and ran down the stairs in hope of catching him. She had many questions, but she only wanted to hear the answer to one.

_Did we choose the same path? Did we choose to coexist? _She wanted to ask him.

She ran down side streets as she caught him turning a corner. "Wait!"

_I just want to ask him that. I want to hear him say it. _

She turned another corner stopping in her tracks as she lost site of him. Her heart began to ache.

_I need to know if we have a chance to be together._

Misaki felt her phone ring, picked it up to see Saitou was calling, and answered it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"_There was some Contractor activity at Shinjuku Station."_

"Got it. I'll be right there."

Misaki began to walk away, but glanced back down the street, and then smiled.

--

Hei was sitting on top of a brick wall concealed behind a tree while he watched Misaki walk back towards his old apartment. He wanted to embrace her in his arms, knowing she hadn't come to arrest him, but he felt it was best they should stay away from each other due to their situation. She was the Section Chief of the Foreign Affairs, and he was the most fearsome Contractor wanted dead by his previous employers. He didn't want to involve her, knowing they may kill her too.

He already spent most of the morning running away from the Syndicate. He thought it would be safer if he hid in his old apartment for a while, believing they wouldn't bother with the place, but he should have known Misaki might stop off for a visit.

Hei was pleased to see her again. He wondered if her heart ached from falling in love with a Contractor, and she hated him for lying about being the Black Reaper. Hei hoped not.

--

Misaki arrived at the station minutes later. She walked past police cars and officers before noticing Saitou over at an ambulance. He was talking to a young short and thin girl with long brown hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Chief," Saitou called out for her to join him.

Misaki walked over to him, noticing injured people lying or sitting in the ambulances, as others were being escorted out of the station by medics.

"What happened, Saitou?" Misaki asked.

"It happened a few hours ago according to some of the witnesses," began Saitou. "There were men dressed in black suits who began to open fire here in the crowd. They injured a few dozen people, and many others are in critical condition."

"They were chasing the guy who decided to help me carry my bags down to the train," the young girl interrupted. "The two men walked up to him, yelled, 'Die traitor,' and fired at us. I could have been shot too if it weren't for the guy pushing me quickly out of the bullets' path. He then took off through the hallways with those suit men, and then I heard more gunfire and people screaming. I feared for the guy's life and hurried to go make sure he was all right. When I got to the end of the hallway, the two men were lying knocked out on the ground, and I saw the young man head up the stairs and out onto the streets."

"What did he look like?" Misaki asked.

"He was very cute," the girl blushed. "He had short black hair, a sharp face, smooth collar bones and beautiful blue eyes. The only thing I didn't like on him was his green coat."

"Li-kun," Misaki mumbled to herself.

"What was that, Chief?"

"Ah… n—nothing."

Saitou nodded and escorted Misaki away from the young lady.

"Chief, there's something else too."

"What?"

"When we arrived here the two young men weren't knocked out, but dead. They had been stabbed by what appeared to be many long needles, and the commuters that are in critical condition have the same type of wounds."

Misaki's eyes widened.

"The young girl didn't notice, but other commuters had said they saw a man glow blue, as his eyes turned red, and then him firing small needles at the green coat man."

"A Contractor was after him?"

"It would seem, Chief, but it gets worse. The Contractor didn't just fire at the green coat man, but also at his teammates. As the green coat man tried to run many of the commuters were caught in the cross fire."

"Nani? He put them in danger?"

"I don't think he intended to since a witness had told me that the green coat man had demanded for him to stop shooting randomly. He even had said for them to take it outside on a rooftop so nobody else got hurt. However, the Contractor had said, 'that's the price you get for crossing them.' It would seem the green coat man had worked for the same organization, and for some reason he ran from them."

Misaki was amazed at Saitou figuring out that he had worked for them, but she was happy to know he wasn't stupid.

"Did the young man appear to be a Contractor too?" Misaki asked, hoping that Li hadn't used his powers in front of many people who could identify him to the police.

"No, there's no evidence that he is," replied Saitou.

"Is the young man still here?"

"No, and we don't know who he is. Kouno is checking on the surveillance tapes to see if we can ID him, and hopefully get some answers about this group he betrayed."

"Good. Keep me informed," replied Misaki.

She turned to head into the subway. Misaki knew Li was all right due to the fact she had seen him at his apartment. He didn't use his power, which pleased her since she wouldn't have to worry about Kouno and Saitou putting the pieces together about BK-201. However, if he was on that tape, the person everybody knew as Li would be running from the Foreign Affairs, and she didn't want to slap her handcuffs on him again.

--

Hei walked down a busy street in Shinjuku towards another station in order to get out of the neighborhood. He was tired from running all day and not getting the chance to eat. He wanted to get out of here and get some rest. He felt something approach him, which caused him to dodge to his right quickly, as he saw some small and long needles fly by him, but a few struck his left shoulder and chest. He turned around to see the same Contractor that was following him earlier, as he was hit by a half dozen more needles on his right leg. People around him were also struck, and the few people that weren't hit, screamed out in panic.

Hei cringed in pain but quickly took cover down an alley. He removed his green coat to toss it to the ground, reached into his jean pocket to pull out his black trench coat, and threw it on while still running. He then turned around while pulling out his wire to see the Contractor had picked up his green coat. The Contractor looked at it, and fired four-dozen needles from his hands to shred his jacket into pieces.

"That's what I'm going to do to you next, BK-201," he said while smiling. He then hysterically laughed, as he fired hundreds of little needles from his hands at Hei. "Die, traitor."

Hei covered his face with his arm quickly, as the needles hit his coat and fell to the ground. The Contractor looked at Hei stunned. He burned with fury and tried to shoot more needles at Hei, but Hei flung his wire at the Contractor to wrap it around one of his arms, and sent a volt of electricity through the wire. The Contractor shook violently and then fell dead.

Hei took off his trench coat, flinching from the pain, and unbutton his shirt to remove it. He sat to lean sideways against the wall while gazing at his many wounds. He began to pull the needles out while biting down on his lips to keep from screaming. His blood spattered over his chest and back, as he cringed from the pain. Once he removed the last one, Hei ripped his pant leg with a needle and started yanking out more. Unable to tolerate the pain anymore, he cried out in agony.

After the needles were removed, he ripped off some fabric from his white shirt, and wrapped them around his wounds. He threw his blood stained and ripped shirt away, put his trench coat back on, and limped out of the alley to head down the busy streets.

His wounds were deep in which Hei knew he had lost a lot of blood. He became fatigued, bumping into people, as he passed by them. He wondered if he should go to a hospital, but figured the Syndicate would spot him there. He thought about taking the subway to his new hideout where Yin should be, but he didn't think he'd reach it. Hei then thought that his old apartment wasn't too far from here, and began walking down a back alley. Yin was probably keeping an eye on him, which he figured she would follow him there. He came up to the water canal that ran behind his old place, climbed down into it, and walked through the canal. He began to slowly lose consciousness. He tried to keep his body moving, but he instead passed out, and then fell to splash water around him.

--

Misaki was sitting on her couch in her apartment when her phone rang. She picked it up to see Saitou calling again, flipped it open, and said, "What is it Saitou?"

"Chief, BK-201 was active in Shinjuku," said Saitou. "I'm heading over there right now."

"BK-201 was in Shinjuku?"

"Hai, it appears he was fighting the Contractor that had chased the man in the green coat back at the station earlier today. It appears BK-201 killed him since his star fell from the sky. It's possible the man in the green might be BK-201."

Misaki's eyes widened in surprise at Saitou's hunch, and wondered how a big dolt like him could guess that about Li.

"Really? Did Kouno find out anything from the surveillance cameras?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"_Unfortunately no,"_ replied Saitou. "It seems this Syndicate organization had gotten their hands on the videos first and destroyed all the evidence."

"Still hiding their tracks," Misaki mumbled to herself.

"_What was that, Chief?"_

"Ah, nothing. I'll be there shortly," replied Misaki.

Misaki stood from her couch, grabbed her coat and purse, and left her apartment.

--

Misaki parked a little ways down from the scene, exited her car, and walked over to the station entrance. She stopped as she noticed a young girl with long silver hair and a black gothic dress standing amongst the crowd. Misaki recognized her from the park where she had met Li at a couple times. She also noticed the girl seemed to be in a slight daze.

Misaki walked up to her and said, "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?'

She thought maybe the silver-haired girl might have witnessed the events, and she was about to ask her what had happened.

"Please, he's hurt," said the young girl before Misaki could ask her another question. "Please help him."

Misaki looked at the young girl stunned. She was about to ask who was hurt, but the young girl grabbed her arm, and led her to her car. Misaki stopped the girl in her tracks and stared into her eyes.

"What's this all about?" she asked. "Who's hurt and where?"

"I can't tell you who in front of everyone else. I only trust you to help him. Please, _he _needs your help. If you don't he might die and leave me. I don't want him to leave me."

Misaki looked at her baffled. The way she stood and acted seemed like a Doll, but her feelings for this person were far from it. She nodded her head and gestured for the young girl to get in the passenger seat, as she sat behind the wheel.

"Please hurry," she said while pointing her finger straight ahead.

The young girl led her down a few blocks from the incident, told her to make a left, followed by a right, and then asked her to stop. Misaki slammed on the brakes and pulled along side a canal. The girl and Misaki exited the car and walked over the edge. Misaki noticed a trail of blood leading into the canal, as the young girl led her into it. Misaki then noticed someone in a black coat lying in the water passed out. Her eyes widened in shock and ran over to him.

"Li-kun!" she cried out.

She noticed a puddle of blood swarming around him, making her insides turn that he might be dead, and placed her head on his heart. Seconds passed, as she heard nothing, causing her own heart to stop. Suddenly a faint pump sound echoed in her ear. Misaki let out a breath of relief, and pulled out her phone to dial 119, but the young girl stopped her.

"They will find him," she said.

"But he lost a lot of blood, I need to take him to a hospital," cried Misaki.

The young girl stared at her worried and said, "They're at the hospitals and they will kill him."

Misaki stared at the young girl flabbergasted, and then thought of what to do next. She made the young girl help her carry Li out of the canal and lay him on the ground.

"Please stay here with him," said Misaki. "I have an emergency kit in my car. Keep pressure on those wounds. I'll be right back."

Misaki ran to her car. She grabbed the medical kit and some blankets out of her car, and ran back to Li. Her police training taught her a few survival skills in which she hoped it was enough to save him. She prayed a star didn't fall.

--

Misaki went to the middle of her room to pull up her rug and removed a floorboard with a knife. She set the floorboard aside, reached into the hole, and pulled out a small box. She opened it to take out a smaller bag, closed the box to place it back in the hole, and put the floorboard back in place. Misaki entered her bedroom, walked over to her bed where Li lay unconscious from loss of blood, and sat in a chair next to it as she stared down at him.

He looked peaceful sleeping, but his breathing was still very faint. Her heart ached at the thought of almost losing him, and wondered how she would have handled his death. It had never crossed her mind before, and now she couldn't stop thinking about it. Misaki imagined Saitou giving her the news, and she pictured herself holding back her tears until she was alone in a bathroom stall.

She leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. Misaki took the small bag, placed it in his left hand, and wrapped his fingers around it.

She figured the syndicate kept finding him with Dolls. Misaki hoped that by giving him the stone that Kara had asked her to protect, it would help give him sanctuary. She knew it would be difficult for her to find him if he disappeared again, but she hoped, once he woke up, he wouldn't run from her.

--_. _

_Bai and Hei lay on the ground while staring up together at the stars. Hei was surprised that his sister wanted to stargaze since she hadn't cared about them when she had become a Contractor. _

"_Do you remember how we use to sit at the pond and watch the stars together?" Bai asked, surprising Hei even more. _

_She never had talked about their childhood either. Something was wrong, and Hei wondered what kind of tricks his sister was cooking up. He put the thought behind him, as he remembered stargazing with his little sister._

"_Hai, I remember," he said while smiling._

"_Do you remember what I wished for?" _

"_Hai."_

_He remembered she had wished to become a nurse. It was funny how she would become someone who takes lives as opposed to saving them._

"_I wished for something else though," she said, as she looked back down from the sky and smiled at Hei._

_Hei looked over at her as he waited for her to finish._

"_I wished to always be with you, Brother."_

_Hei looked astounded that his sister, a Contractor, would say something so emotional. _

_Amber walked up to them. Bai looked over at her, as if she were going to ask a question, in which Amber seemed to reply with a nod._

"_Hei," Amber began. "Could you go down to the lake and fill up our water bottles?"_

_Hei nodded in reply, grabbed the water containers, and headed for the lake. It took him five minutes to walk there, filled up the containers, and headed back to camp._

_Once he returned he noticed his sister and Amber were missing. Havoc was sitting next to a fire in which he ran over to her._

"_Carmine, where…"_

_Hei felt something attacking him from behind, causing him to duck and roll on the ground. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a knife lay where he had been standing. He quickly rolled to his left, as another one was thrown at him. More blades were thrown from other directions. Hei was somehow able to dodge every single one. He then noticed Havoc highlight in blue as her eyes turned red._

"_Carmine, NO!" Hei screamed at her. "I can handle them. Don't use your powers." _

_He had asked her to refrain from using her powers so she wouldn't have to perform her horrible obeisance. He knew where his opponents were hiding in the trees after they had thrown their blades at him. He tossed his cable line at one to wrap it around his body, and pulled him out of the tree to land hard on the ground knocking him out. He connected his wire onto a branch above another man, and swung towards him to throw a knife into his heart. He landed beside him, pulled out his blade, and pushed him off the tree. The other one seemed to take cover behind a tree. Hei flung his wire onto a branch above the man, swung onto another branch below it, and look down at the other man who tried to throw a knife at him. Hei dodged it and threw a blade into the man's forehead. He jumped out of the tree and went to retrieve his blade._

"_Carmine, where'd my sister go?" he screamed, as he ran over to her._

"_She said she had a mission at the Gate," replied Havoc._

"_She went there without me? If she uses her power, she will faint, and someone will take the opportunity to kill her."_

"_Don't worry, Hei. Amber is with her."_

"_I wouldn't worry about them," said a man's voice behind Hei. "I already sent someone to take care of those two." Hei turned around to see another man dressed head to toe in black with black long hair pulled into a ponytail. "Very impressive, Black Reaper. I didn't expect you to survive that attack without BK-201. I guess waiting to attack while you guys were separated wasn't good enough, but I wonder how BK-201 will do without her brother there to protect her while fulfilling her payment?"_

_Hei's anger rose and charged at the man. The man highlighted in blue as his eyes turned red, and then Hei's body was lifted off from the ground and thrown hard into a tree. He could feel something hitting him hard across the face, but he couldn't see anything. He went to grab his blade to throw it at the Contractor, but something hit his hand and knocked it out of his grip, and then he dropped onto the ground. An invisible hand wrapped around his throat and began choking him._

_Hei heard an explosion coming from the gate, causing the ground to shake, as the grip from around his neck loosened. He took his wire to fling it around the Contractor's neck, and pulled hard to strangle him. The Contractor's face slowly turned blue, as he tried to loosen the wire around his neck, but the Contractor was unsuccessful and passed out._

_Hei released his hold on the Contractor to let him fall onto the ground, and looked towards the gate._

"_BAI, BAI!" Hei screamed out, as he ran at it. "BAI, where are you? BAI, BAI!!" _

_He stopped in his tracks to see a bright white light heading towards him. When it hit him, he felt his body pass out and everything turn black. _

--

Misaki heard screams coming from her bedroom as she went to go check on Li. When she got into the room, she could see him sweating heavily, and tossing and turning violently in her bed. She was surprised he didn't seem to be in pain from his injuries.

"Bai!" Li screamed out in his sleep. "Bai, where are you? Bai, Bai!!"

Misaki watched him in shock, knowing he was having a nightmare, and wondered how it was possible a Contractor could.

"Li-kun," she screamed while shaking him to try to wake him. "Li-kun. Wake up, please. You're having a nightmare."

Li didn't respond to her plea. Misaki then wondered if Bai was his sister, and thought calling him Li wouldn't wake him up from that dream.

"H—Hei," she hesitated to say, as it sounded awkward coming from her lips. "Wake up, Hei."

Li stopped screaming as his body settled down, and his eyes started to open.

--

_Hei could see an image of someone smiling and calling his name to wake up. To him it looked like his sister, but she never called him by his name._

"_Hei, wake up, Hei," she called out to him again while reaching her hand toward him. He gladly took it as the person and the light disappeared._

His eyes began to open, but a bright light made him close them. He felt fatigued as he tried to sit up, but he didn't seem to have the strength, and dropped back onto the bed. A sweet scent of sakuras caught his attention while he wondered where he was. He slowly opened his eyes again, allowing them to adapt to the light. He stared at a ceiling and then leaned his head to his right to see a figure sitting in front of a brightly lit window.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Somewhere safe," a female voice answered.

Hei recognized it and then smiled to know she had come to his rescue this time. He tried to sit up again, but Misaki placed her hands on his bare chest, and gestured for him to lie back down.

"You lost a lot of blood, and you hit your head really hard. You still need to rest," she said.

"I can't stay here," replied Hei, as he tried to get up again. Misaki kept her hands on him to prevent him from doing anything irrational. "They'll find me here and then they'll kill you."

"Yin said they are nowhere around here, and if they do come, she'll alert you. For now, you need to rest."

Hei wanted her to let him go so she wouldn't be in any danger because of him, but then he felt something in his hand. He held it up to see a small red bag in his hand. He didn't have to open it to know what the small item was in the bag. His mind began to rest at ease.

"Did Yin come to you for help?" he asked.

"Hai. You're lucky to have her. She's been worried about you. Apparently she cares about you deeply."

"I know. Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She told me to tell you she's staying with a friend, and not to worry."

Hei smiled and realized she must be staying with Kiko.

Misaki's doorbell rang, causing Hei to become jittery.

"If you'll excuse me," Misaki said, as she got up and left her bedroom.

--

Misaki walked up to her door, looked through the peephole to see Kanami standing on the other side with a bag in her hand, and opened the door.

"What brings you by, Kanami?" Misaki asked while faking a cough.

"I was worried about you," said Kanami, as she walked into her apartment. "I called up your office and they told me you have been sick for the past two days, so I brought you some of my family's home remedies for the flu."

Kanami looked at Misaki, dropped her bag on the ground, and placed her hand on her head. She then gave her a dirty look.

"You're not really sick, are you?" she guessed.

Misaki faked another cough and said, "Wh…What do… you mean…? Of course… I am."

"Misaki, I grew up with you. We used to try this on our parents. We even got Alice to do it once."

Misaki sighed and then gave up her act.

"What's wrong?" Kanami asked concerned.

"Nothing."

"It's about Li-kun, isn't it?" Misaki stared at her and wondered why she would bring him up. "You're love sick."

Misaki stared at her friend flabbergasted, and then almost dropped to the floor if she didn't grab her door handle. She prayed Li didn't hear Kanami say that.

"You should go see him and tell him how you feel," continued Kanami.

"I can't," she replied, as she went to go sit down on her couch.

"Sure you can." Kanami sat next to Misaki. "Just run over to his apartment, knock on his door, and when he opens it say, 'I love you.'"

Misaki blushed. She wished her friend would zip her lips about Li since he was in the other room; in her bedroom, on her bed. If Kanami knew that one, she would never hear the end of it.

"I—I can't, Kanami," said Misaki. She lowered her head and then softly said, "He—he was deported back to China."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Misaki. No wonder you're love sick," said Kanami, feeling terrible, but then looked up at Misaki and smiled. "Well, we should go on a trip to China then. I always wanted to see the Great Wall."

"Kanami, please."

"Well, you should at least go to work. It will take your mind off him."

Misaki sighed but then nodded in agreement.

"Oh, speaking of work, did Ootsuka tell you the tragic news?"

Misaki looked at her friend puzzled, "What news?"

"It happened two days ago. BK-201 died."

"Nani?" Misaki asked, trying to act surprised.

"Hai. According to our data, he was fighting another Contractor, NS-719. BK-201 killed him, but after his fight, his star slowly started to fade, and then hours later it completely vanished."

"Vanished? It didn't fall?"

"It's not unusual for our data to miss the star actually fall, it's happened before. But if you look up at the sky, his star is missing."

Misaki looked toward the ground and felt relieved. She couldn't believe the stone actually worked. If everyone thought he was dead, he should be able to live a normal life, if the Syndicate doesn't spot him on the streets. He should move away from here, but she wanted him to stay here, which pleased her, but she knew Li would spend his life trying to take down the Syndicate.

Misaki felt a finger tap her forehead.

"Worrying again, Misaki," said Kanami. "You're going to get wrinkles."

Misaki looked up at her friend puzzled, but then smiled.

"I guess you'll never know the face behind the mask," said Kanami. "But you don't have to worry about him anymore." Kanami headed for the door. "I'll be back later after work, and we'll spend some time together. And there's no way I'm taking no for an answer."

Misaki watched Kanami leave her apartment and sighed. She knew that when her friend said, "Let's spend some time together," it meant shopping. Kanami didn't know that she still had to worry about Li, and she didn't want to leave him in fear he wouldn't be here when she came back. She had brought him here not only to be safe, but she also wanted to be with him. She went back into her bedroom to see Li had fallen asleep again. Misaki sat next to him and felt a little fatigued so she laid her head on his chest. It felt warm and peaceful to hear his heart beating, as she found herself falling asleep.

--

Two men dressed in gray business suits were talking together inside an office. A tall and thin man, who had short black hair, was standing in front of an office desk, as a short man with black hair sat in an office chair looking out a window at the Tokyo skyline. The tall man could only see the top of the short man's head.

"It appears NS-719 was useful after all," the tall man said. "BK-201 is dead."

"Are you sure?" the short man asked.

"Hai, his star is gone."

"Are you sure he's dead and he didn't get a hold of the stone?"

"Yes, one of our men saw them fighting from the roof. NS-719 had injured BK-201 severely. He was able to follow him for a while and could see him slowly passing out from too much blood loss. He then noticed his star fading, and after a few hours, it completely vanished."

"It didn't fall?"

"It's possible that his star faded to almost nothing and we couldn't see it fall."

"That's weird."

"It's been known to happen before with other Contractors."

"I still don't like it."

"Should I have someone check on Officer Kirihara and the stone?"

"No need to. I will take care of it. I don't want any of you around her anymore."

The taller man bowed in agreement and left the office.

--

Misaki was startled as she jumped up from a loud noise while fearing the Syndicate had found Li. She went to go grab her gun out of her drawer when she heard the noise again. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized it was coming from Li's stomach. She let out a sigh of relief and then smiled.

_Even though he's the Black Reaper, he's still the same Li-kun,_ she thought. Misaki left her bedroom and entered her kitchen to find something for him to eat. She also grabbed a few Motrin to help him with the pain.

She returned to the bedroom moments later with a bowl of instant noodles, a couple of Motrin pills, and water to see Li had awakened.

"Hungry?" she asked.

Li looked over at her and smiled.

Misaki set the noodles on her nightstand and helped Li sit up. Li held his head and cringed in pain from a headache. She took a couple of pillows and stacked them behind him for support.

"This should help with the pain," she said, as she grabbed the Motrin.

She placed them in his mouth and held up the glass of water for him to drink. He swallowed the pills as Misaki grabbed the noodles and started to feed him. After he ate a few bites, he looked up at her puzzled.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked.

Misaki looked at him stunned while holding up some noodles by his mouth. She couldn't believe that he would even ask such a thing.

"You really don't know?" she asked, as Li opened his mouth to eat the noodles, but looked at Misaki confused. "Because I want to help you, Li-kun."

Li winced at her, but then looked toward his bowl of noodles depressed, and said, "Didn't I tell you he was dead?"

Misaki could feel the knife stab her heart from hearing those words again. She tried to hold back her tears, but she felt one escape and run down her cheek.

"I don't believe you," she replied.

"There's no going back to that life for me. Li was a lie, Misaki."

Misaki stared at Li while taking in his words.

"Well, I guess if he was a lie, then that wasn't his stomach I just heard growl," replied Misaki, "and there's no need to feed someone who isn't here."

She set the noodles on her nightstand and crossed her arms looking heart-broken. Li stared at her flabbergasted as silence filled the room. Moments later Li's stomach let out another loud growl.

Misaki's left eyelid twitched while her lip curled into a smirk, as she tried to hold back a chuckle, but she couldn't and started laughing. Li looked at her embarrassed, but then smiled at her, as she took the bowl to hold out for him to take. He went to grab it, but cringed in pain instead from the sudden movement. Misaki stopped laughing, and started feeding him again.

"Li's not dead," Misaki continued. "If he died, then I would have been killed by Hourai. The Black Reaper wouldn't care about saving a life, and he wouldn't stop from taking one. He also wouldn't care about saving millions of human lives."

Li looked at her stunned. Suddenly Misaki's doorbell rang.

"That's probably Kanami coming to pick me up to go shopping," she said. "I'm sure those painkillers will help you a lot. If you feel you have the energy to leave, just signal Yin. She's been watching over you too."

Li looked at her stunned.

"Watching me?" he asked frantically. "I thought Dolls couldn't see anyone who held this stone. It doesn't work, does it? I need to get out of here." Li tried to sit up again, but Misaki held him down.

"It works, Li-kun. Kanami had told me that your star disappeared. They think your dead."

Li stared at her confused.

"My star disappeared?" he asked. "I thought it just prevented a doll from being able to find whoever held it."

"Kara didn't tell you?" Misaki questioned startled. "Not only can it prevent a doll from finding whoever carries it, it can hide a Contractor's star."

Li stared at her baffled and then looked away from her, as he muttered, "That would explain why Mao's star disappeared." He looked back at her. "How is Yin able to see me then?"

"She cares for you deeply. It's almost as she sees you as an older brother, or even more. Maybe that bond is too strong for the stone to break."

Misaki's doorbell rang again, as Misaki left the room to greet Kanami at the door, and headed out shopping.

Hours later she returned home. She had two bags of groceries loaded with tons of food and placed them on her kitchen counter. She walked into her bedroom to see Li was no longer in bed. She knew he would take the opportunity to leave while she was gone. Her heart sank into her stomach as a tear rolled down her face. She went to lie down on her bed and lingered in his scent, longing to taste his sweet lips again, and wished he were still here cuddling and kissing her.

Misaki felt exhausted from shopping. She sat up to take off her glasses, set them on the nightstand, and pulled out her ponytail. She lay back as her eyes became heavy and fell into a deep sleep.

--

Hei felt relieved that he was able to make it to the bathroom thanks to Misaki leaving the bottle of Motrin on the nightstand. He was also happy to see Misaki had a full bathtub. He slowly removed his clothes, cringing slightly from the pain, and tiredly stepped into it to wash away his stench from not bathing for two days. He stayed in the tub, making sure he didn't get his bandages wet.

After two hours of bathing, and feeling as if he had the strength, he slowly stood from the tub, grabbed a towel to dry his wet body, and dressed in the clothes that had been left for him on top of Misaki's dresser. He cringed in pain, and nearly fell over from trying to put on his black pants. He refrained from putting on the black t-shirt by leaving it on the counter. He hoped after all his effort he would make it back into the bedroom without passing out. Hei exited the bathroom, carefully stepped down into the living room that was lit by the streetlights, and walked towards the bedroom while dragging his feet. He entered the bedroom, stepped over to the double bed, and then noticed Misaki asleep on it.

He frowned to himself. He didn't have the energy to reach the bed Misaki had made herself on the couch. He thought about sleeping on the floor, but he was cold, and he didn't want to injure himself anymore. He slowly walked to the other side of the bed, as he used it for support, and almost collapsed. He crawled into bed, pulled the covers over him, and lay on the edge of the bed, hoping she wouldn't mind.

Even though Hei was trying not to invade Misaki's space, her body was close to his due to the small size of the double bed. Hei started to have images of her waking up in the morning, startled by him next to her, and pushing him off. He began to think it was a bad idea.

Suddenly, Hei felt Misaki's arm wrap around his chest and leaned her head up against his. He turned onto his side to gaze upon her and see she was still fast asleep. Hei smiled at her beauty and fell asleep.

--

Misaki slowly woke up to feel her arm wrapped around something warm and her head against something firm and soft.

"Li-kun," she softly said to herself, as she smiled and cuddled up tightly with him.

_Li-kun?_ Misaki finally realized, startling herself as she opened her eyes to see he was lying next to her. He was sound asleep and at peace compared to the previous nights. She was pleased to see he hadn't left her, but she wondered how she ended up in bed with him. Misaki swore Li wasn't lying in the bed when she got home, or had her shopping with Kanami made her too exhausted to where she couldn't see clearly.

Misaki didn't want to, but she had to use the toilet, and slowly pulled away from him, trying not to wake him. As she got free, his head fell to where his lips had almost touched hers, making her want to close the small gap and kiss him. She couldn't resist and softly kissed his lips so not to wake him, and slowly pulled away from him while gently resting his head on a pillow. She stood from the bed and watched Li sleeping for a while, as she smiled at him. She then turned around and left the room.

--

Hei woke up from the sunshine coming through the window. He was amazed at how peaceful it was for him to sleep last night, remembering he hadn't slept like that since before the gates appeared. He smelt something burning, and worried the building was on fire. He sat up quickly to stand from the bed, still feeling fatigued, but he didn't want to be caught in a blaze. He cringed from the headache, as he stood up, and dragged his body over to the door to see smoke coming through the cracks.

"Misaki," he muttered to himself. Hei checked the doorknob to make sure it wasn't hot, and quickly busted the door open. "Misaki!"

Hei looked at her made bed to see she wasn't occupying it, but then he noticed her standing by her stove with an apron on and a spatula in her hand. Misaki was waving at the smoke around her and coughing heavily from breathing it in.

"I thought you might be hungry," she said.

Hei looked at her stunned, but then started laughing hard and making him flinch from the pain.

Misaki looked at him upset that he was laughing at her. However, she started to laugh as well, but it turned into a cough from her inhaling too much smoke. She turned the stove off and walked down into her living room still coughing.

Hei walked over to the balcony, opened it to let out the smoke, and gestured Misaki to get some air too. She stepped onto it and inhaled the fresh air. He held his hands on her back and shoulder while she leaned over the rail coughing. After a minute, she stopped.

"Are you all right?" he asked her looking concerned.

"Hai, I'm fine," she replied as she turned around.

Hei smiled at her and said, "Why don't I make you some breakfast?"

Misaki looked at him to see he still looked fatigued and hurt.

"Li-kun, your injuries…" she began to say.

"I'm fine," he interrupted her. "I was able to get a lot of rest last night. I feel a lot better than I ever have, thanks to you."

Misaki blushed.

They waited for the smoke to clear out of the room before they entered the living room. Misaki shivered from the cool morning in which Hei went to wrap his arms around her to keep her warm. The warmth from her against his bare chest kept him warm as well.

--

Misaki was happy while Li held her in his arms, which made her want to stay in his arms like this forever. A couple of her neighbors were on their balconies too, staring and smiled at Misaki and Li.

She could see the smoke had cleared out from the kitchen, as Li released her and said, "Shall we go back inside."

She nodded and followed Li into her kitchen. She was surprised to see that he seemed to know where everything was in her kitchen, as he pulled out a pot, wok, bowls, rice and everything else that was needed to make fried rice.

Li filled up a pot of water and set it on the stove to a boil. He started placing ingredients in the wok and went to go turn on her vent, but it didn't come on.

"I keep meaning to get it fixed," said Misaki, "but I've never had the time, and I don't cook much anyways."

Li sent a brief electrical shock into it in which it made the vent start to run. Misaki stared flabbergasted from forgetting who he was due to the past few peaceful days with him. Misaki watched him as he continued to add things, but then he realized he had used his power.

"Eh, sorry," he apologized.

Misaki shook her head it was fine, but she wondered why he hadn't fulfilled his contract yet. She began to wonder what it was.

"Would you like to help?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"No, no. I might burn the food again," replied Misaki.

"It'll be all right. I'm here to help you."

Misaki nodded as she stood in front of him. Li took the spatula, placed it in her hand, and guided her hand to stir the rice. Misaki felt so comfortable and leaned back into him, embracing every moment she had with him.

They finished cooking the meal, sat down at a small table, and started eating. Li was downing his food, which pleased her to see that he had some of his energy back. As she watched him eat, she tried not to ask about his obeisance.

"Is that the price you pay for your contract," she blurted out anyways.

Li looked at her a little stunned by her question.

"No," he replied. "I don't have one."

Misaki looked at him a little confused. She knew Li was definitely different due to his dreams and emotions, but he had no payment. How was it possible to go against everything she knew about Contractors?

"I'm human," said Li, as if he knew what she was thinking. Misaki looked at him flabbergasted. "I don't even really know how. I thought my sister died at Heaven's Gate, but she somehow transferred her powers to me and is still with me."

Misaki looked at him stunned to hear he was a human and a Contractor. She then thought of the question that had been eating at her mind.

"Is that why you chose to destroy the Syndicate's machine, so that humans and Contractors could live together?" Misaki asked.

Li stared at his rice, looking like he was trying to think of an answer.

"I really don't know," he said while looking up at her. "I just know that I couldn't live with myself if all those innocent people died, human or Contractor."

Misaki smiled to know she had made the right choice by following her heart. She didn't care about the words he had said to her at Hell's Gate anymore. She knew in her heart that Li still lived.

--

Misaki's doorbell rang, causing her to freak out a little, and gestured Li to go hide in her bedroom. After Li closed the door, Misaki walked over to her door, looked through the peephole, and saw Kanami outside. She opened the door and gestured her friend inside.

"Kanami? I hope you're not here to ask me to go out shopping with you again," said Misaki.

"It's Saturday, what else would I be by to do."

Misaki sighed as Kanami sniffed the air.

"Ah, something smells good," she said, as she began to walk over to her table. "What did you have for breakfast?"

"Just some rice," replied Misaki, hoping her friend wouldn't see all the stuff on the stove.

Kanami picked up Misaki's chopsticks to eat some of the rice. Her eyes lit up ecstatically from the taste.

"Ah, this is delicious!" she shouted. "Where did you order it from?"

Misaki began to sweat from the lie she was going to say, but before she could, Kanami noticed the cookware on the stove. She looked at Misaki puzzled, but then smiled teasingly.

"Had a little company over today," she said. "That's one way to get over Li-kun."

"No, I decided to make myself some rice instead of eating all that instant stuff."

"Misaki, you're not a very good liar," she smiled, as she walked over to her. "Every time you cook something, you burn it, and you've been faking the flu." Kanami whispered in her ear. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Kanami watched Misaki's cheeks turn red and then began looking around her apartment. She noticed her bedroom door was closed in which she ran over to enter it. She scanned the area but didn't see anyone. Still convinced that Misaki was hiding someone, she exited the room and went over to her balcony. She pulled open the curtains to see a man in black pants and a black t-shirt standing out on the balcony.

"Found you," Kanami smiled, as she opened the door.

Misaki wondered how Li had gotten onto the balcony and why he didn't run away, but she figured he was still fatigued from his injuries. Li turned around as Kanami almost fell over in shock.

"Li-kun?" she said dumbfounded. "I thought Misaki said you went back to China?"

Misaki tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to mind.

"I tried to tell them that my paperwork was stolen from me, but they wouldn't listen," said Li. "I was able to get new paperwork and fought them to let me finish my schooling."

"School?" questioned Kanami and glared at Li. "You obviously couldn't get Misaki out of your mind and had to come see her." She smiled. "How romantic."

Misaki's cheeks turned bright red along with Li's.

"Well, I guess this means I'm going boy hunting by myself today."

Kanami began to leave the room, but then turned around to walk over to Misaki's table, and grabbed Misaki's bowl of rice and chopsticks.

"I'm going to have to come by here more often while Li's around," she said, and then started to stuff her face. "It's really good."

Li smiled at her as she left the room with the food.

--

Misaki and Li finished washing the dishes as Li seemed to be startled by something in the sink.

"Yin?" he said.

"What's the matter, Li-kun?" Misaki asked while she finished drying the last dish.

"Yin's spectre. I need to get out of here."

Misaki looked at Li startled. Moments later her doorbell rang again. She sighed at all the visitors that were coming by today and wondered who it was now.

"Li-kun, I'm sorry, but could you just hide in the bathroom for now. If someone were coming to kill you, they would just barge through the door."

Li nodded and went into the bathroom. The doorbell rang again along with the person knocking on the door.

"I'm coming," she yelled out as she scanned the room, and made sure any trace of Li was non-existent.

Misaki walked over to the door and looked through the peephole to see her father smiling outside her door, surprising her since he hasn't been to her apartment in ages. She put on a sick face and opened the door. He pushed his way through it.

"Father, what are you doing here?" she asked while wondering why Yin would think he was dangerous.

"I went by your work to congratulate you on your work at Hell's Gate," he said. "Saitou said that you have been sick, so I came over to see if there's anything you need."

"No, Dad, I'm fine," she said, and then started to fake a cough. Her father didn't seem to worry and started looking around her apartment, making Misaki uncomfortable. He then walked over to her bedroom and opened the door to look around in there.

"Is there something you're looking for, Dad?" she asked.

She had been suspicious of him since he had called her to tell her to get out of Tokyo and the events that had followed. Misaki didn't want to believe it, but with him searching around her apartment, and Yin's alert, she felt he was looking for Li. She was also afraid that he might be involved with the Syndicate.

"Ah, no, no. I'm just making sure your apartments not too cold," he said smiling at her, as he made his way over to her kitchen. "We need you to get better."

Misaki smiled back at her father.

"Hai," she said.

Her father began to leave her apartment, but then turned back around to look at Misaki.

"Ah, may I use your bathroom, Misaki?" he asked.

Misaki's heart skipped a beat, as she pondered on what to say to him. If he was here to search for Li, she couldn't let her father see him since he would notify the Syndicate, and they would surely send someone to kill him.

"Ah, Hai," she replied.

Misaki shivered in fear, as he drew closer to the door, opened it, and entered the bathroom. He came out moments later, waved goodbye to Misaki, and exited her apartment. Misaki let out a huge breath of relief and walked over to the bathroom. She looked around it to see Li wasn't present. She then heard a pounding noise on her balcony and looked over it to see Li outside it. She ran over to unlock the door and let him in.

"Li-kun. How did…"

"The bedroom window," he replied breathing heavy.

"But how did you get into the bed…"

Li began to fall as Misaki quickly caught him and held him up. She didn't know how he did it, but whatever he did it was too much for his body to handle. Misaki helped him back to her bed and laid him down. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep. She was amazed he didn't fall earlier with all the cooking and cleaning he did.

Misaki got into the bed and cuddled beside him.

--

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm very proud of this chapter. It's my favorite along with the next chapter. I'm anxious to know what everyone thinks, so please let me know.

I'm already done with the next chapter too, so I hope to have it posted soon.

Thanks again to everyone for reading. :)

--

I just wanted to say thank you to Sakabatou77 again for all his help fixing my grammer. I would have never had the courage to post this story with out your help.

and thank you to Aerysa and BSzoke for catching my spelling errors in this chapter. :)


	12. The Calm After a Kiss

Darker than Black: A Heart is Not Black

Chapter Twelve: The Calm After a Kiss

--

Naoyasu stood outside Misaki's apartment to listen in on his daughter. He was pleased there were no signs of BK-201 in her home, which he believed his daughter wasn't helping a Contractor, but she was hiding something from him. It was obvious she was pretending to be sick, and it made him think that his daughter had someone with her. Probably some sleazy ex-boyfriend of hers he hated. The only way he could be certain was to spy on her.

Naoyasu heard a noise coming from Misaki's apartment, and then she had yelled out, "Li-kun?" He was right; there was a guy with his baby girl. He checked his memory, and didn't recognize the name. A sliding sound echoed through the door, which Naoyasu figured she had opened her balcony door. The man named Li said something, but it was too faint to hear.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard someone exiting the elevator, making him look over his shoulder to see Kanami walking towards him.

"Kirihara-san?" she said. "Did you come over to take care of Misaki while she's sick? You're such a good father."

"Hai," Naoyasu said while smiling. "I was worried about her since she really hasn't missed a day of work in a while. But it would seem she has some company."

"Ah, did you meet Li-kun? She's so lucky to have him. He's so sweet, good looking, and a wonderful cook."

"Ah, yes. He's very nice," he said, trying to act as if he had met him. Something clicked in his head. "Li? Is he Chinese?"

"Ah, hai, but don't let that bother you, sir. You wouldn't know he's Chinese since his Japanese is flawless."

Naoyasu held his smile as he bottled up the anger that was building inside him. BK-201 was Chinese, and he would give his badge up if Li weren't BK-201. His stomach turned nauseous to know that his daughter was helping that Contractor, and not to mention, it sounded like she may be dating him the way Kanami was talking. Its possible Misaki doesn't know who he is, and he merrily acted like a friend around her, which it angered him more that that monster would deceive her. Naoyasu wanted to storm into Misaki's apartment and kill the man, but he refrained himself from doing such a thing in the presence of Kanami and his daughter. No doubt, she would hate him for the rest of his life if he did.

"Sir. Are you all right?"

"Eh? Oh, Hai. I'm fine," said Naoyasu, still masking his anger.

--

Misaki's doorbell rang, causing her to sigh in frustration. She stood from the side of the bed, exited the room while closing the door to hide Li, and walked over to her door. She looked through the peephole to see Kanami and her father, making her curse at their continued persistence to annoy her: her father the most since he was here five minutes ago. Couldn't they leave her be since this might be her only chance to be alone with Li.

She began to wonder if her father had put his ear to her door to listen in on her, and if he did, how much had he heard. Did Kanami say anything about Li? Misaki knew she was in a tight pinch. She opened the door and gestured them in. Her father was scanning the room again, obviously looking for Li.

"What is it you two? I'm really tired," said Misaki.

"I just came by to show you what I bought today and thought you might like to get something to eat," said Kanami. She started scanning the room, probably wondering if Li was still here to cook them lunch. "Where'd Li-kun go?"

Misaki screamed in her head due to her friend's big mouth, as her right eyelid twitched.

"He's not here," Misaki lied. "And I'm very tired; I want to get some rest."

"Misaki," her father said smiling. "You don't have to hide him. I know you're not a little girl anymore, and the way Kanami talks about him, he sounds like a nice guy compared to your ex-boyfriends. I would like to meet him."

Misaki didn't know what to do. There was a possibility that her father didn't know the name Li, but she doubted that. Her father knew Li was here thanks to Kanami, and she knew he wouldn't start anything with him. However, if he worked for the Syndicate, he would tell them that Li was alive and at her apartment. That meant Li was going to have to leave here, and he would be on the run again. Her heart ached at the thought, but she knew he would be fine as long as he had the stone.

She caved in, knowing she wouldn't win with her father, and said, "He's sleeping still. I don't want to wake him. And, Father, you never liked any of my boyfriends. You always chased them away with your badge and gun. How do I know you won't do that with Li?" _And other things? _Misaki thought.

Misaki's bedroom door opened to show a fatigued Li exiting. He looked up and noticed her company. Misaki looked back at her father to see anger building inside his eyes.

"Li-kun, I'm sorry, did we wake you up with all the noise?" Misaki asked, as she turned to stare at Li.

"No, I couldn't sleep anyway," said Li tiredly. "You sure do get a lot of company."

"Not usually," Misaki mumbled to herself. "Oh, Li-kun, this is my father."

Li bowed as her father glared at him for a few seconds before returning the compliment. Misaki started to sweat, as she wondered what her father would do.

"It's nice to meet you, Kirihara-san," said Li while smiling. "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"I would love to," Kanami interrupted and made herself at home.

Misaki could tell that her father was trying hard to hold back his anger, as he looked towards her and smiled, "I'm sorry, sweetie, I have to get back to work."

Her father walked over to the door, opened it, and closed it while trying not to slam it. Li began to walk over to the kitchen, as Misaki stopped him by the balcony.

"Li, you have to get out of here," she said to him at a whisper so Kanami couldn't hear. Li looked at her confused. "My father, I think he works for the Syndicate. I'm afraid he might tell them you're here. Go before they come to kill you."

Li didn't answer or seem to care about her warning, which made Misaki a little uneasy. She then felt Li's hand caress her left cheek and smiled while staring into her brown eyes. Li slowly closed the gap between them, as he placed his other hand behind her neck, and pressed his lips against hers surprising her. As they kissed, all of Misaki's worries escaped, as she savored every second of his luscious taste. She longed to taste his sweet lips since their first kiss, and she was happy he did have feelings for her. She wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him in tight against her body, and didn't part from his lips for what seemed like hours.

--

Naoyasu sat in his car as anger pumped through his veins while he watched his daughter kiss BK-201. He reached inside his glove compartment, pulled out his gun, and aimed it at BK-201's head. He put his finger on the trigger, twitching to pull it, but an image of shooting Misaki instead made him settle the gun on his passenger seat.

He wasn't going to tell the Syndicate BK-201 was at his daughter's house. They would send a heartless Contractor in to take care of him in which Misaki might be hurt or killed in the process. This was something he would do on his own to protect his daughter. He didn't know how, but sometime tonight, he would make sure his daughter didn't get involved with the ruthless killer.

--

Misaki and Li were still interlocked in their kiss while Kanami sat on her couch watching them, as if she were enjoying a movie. Misaki didn't want to, but she pulled slightly away from Li.

"Please, Li…" began Misaki in a whisper.

Li ignored it and pulled her up against him to press his lips against hers. Misaki melted into his taste, but tried to push herself away again.

"Li, please," she began to say still whispering. Li kissed her jaw line, moved slowly towards her ear, and then back to her lips. "You…have to…get out of… here," she said between kisses. "They'll kill…you."

Li slowly pulled his lips away, looked into her eyes, and smiled.

"It'll be all right," he said.

He leaned in for one last kiss, and then departed her side to walk into the kitchen to grab a pot out of a cabinet. However, as he bent over, he fell and passed out.

"Li-kun!" Misaki yelled out, as she ran over to him.

Kanami's eyes widened from him passing out, and ran over to help.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He was in an accident to where he received a concussion," replied Misaki. "Please help me get him back to bed."

Misaki picked up Li under his arms, as Kanami lifted him up by his legs, and carried him into her room to lay him down. Kanami noticed blood dripping down his right shoulder. Misaki wanted to ask Kanami for help to get him out of here, but that might strike up too many questions, and that was the last thing she needed.

"I'll be right back. I need to go get some new bandages out of the bathroom," said Misaki.

"No," said Kanami. "I'll get them. You should stay here with him."

Kanami left the room while Misaki continued to watch Li. She wanted to take him to a hospital, but what Yin had said echoed through her mind. It was convenient for someone to enter the hospital room and kill him in his sleep. Li was safer here to regain his strength.

She walked over to her nightstand, opened her drawer, and pulled out a gun. She pulled out an arm strap, set the gun in it, and hid it under her shirt. If the Syndicate sent someone tonight to kill him, could she protect him?

Kanami returned with a first aid kit, as Misaki removed his shirt to reveal bandages soaked in blood. She removed them, allowing blood to seep from the small wounds on his upper chest and shoulder. She took the kit from Kanami and started treating his wounds.

"Oh, my. He really hurt himself badly," said Kanami. She looked down and noticed blood on his leg too. "I'm surprised he was even able to do all that cooking for you earlier."

"Hai, I know," replied Misaki. "I'm afraid he did it all for me, though. I shouldn't have let him."

"I don't think you could have stopped him. He was probably really hungry and knew you were a terrible cook." Kanami said, trying to cheer up Misaki.

Misaki looked over at her upset, but then smiled.

"What exactly happened?" Kanami asked.

Misaki didn't answer her question at first, as she tried to think up a logical answer.

"Remember the incident two days ago at Shinjuku Station and the Contractor who attacked a lot of people there?" reminded Misaki.

"Hai," nodded Kanami.

"Li was one of many who were injured by the Contractor's attack."

She wasn't really lying to Kanami since he was there, and she didn't need to know Li was the one the Contractor was after. This excuse could at least explain the injuries on his chest and leg.

"He was involved in the station attack?" Kanami screamed. "Misaki, he should be at the hospital, not here in your bed!"

"He can't go to the hospital." Misaki accidentally blurted out. She reminded to kick herself in the bottom for opening her big mouth and thought of something fast so not to make her friend suspicious of things. "He's—he's not in the country legally."

"Na—nani? The whole immigrations thing was a lie?"

"Hai. I know I could lose my badge for this, but I don't care if I can be with him. Please, Kanami."

Misaki hated lying to Kanami, and knew her friend would be furious with her if she found out the truth, but she had no other alternative.

"Well, he's really lucky to be alive," said Kanami moments later. "I heard a few people were killed, even BK-201."

"Hai, I know," replied Misaki.

"At least he's got you here to take care of him, and I'm a pretty good cook, so you go ahead and take care of Li-kun, and I will make us something to eat."

Misaki blinked at Kanami baffled. "Kanami, you don't have to…" she began to say.

"It's all right. I want to help out too."

Misaki looked at her friend surprised. There was no way she would take no for an answer, but Misaki hoped she would at least leave before nightfall. She didn't want to see her mixed up in this mess to where she ended up being killed.

Misaki smiled, and then said, "Arigatou."

Kanami returned the smile and left the room to cook something while Misaki finished bandaging Li's chest. After she was finished, she rounded the bed, sat next to him to rest his head on her lap, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Please get better, Li. I don't want to lose you," Misaki muttered.

--

Kanami came back into the room with some food to see Misaki had falling asleep next to Li on her bed. She smiled at them, pleased that Misaki had finally given into her feelings towards him. She looked at Li's shoulder, knowing that those marks had come from NS-719, so she knew Misaki wasn't lying about that, but there was something wrong about him. She wished her friend would trust her and tell her what was going on. Misaki's father seemed to be on edge, and it felt to her that he was lying about meeting Li.

All things aside, Kanami knew her friend needed her, and she decided to crash on the couch for the rest of the day. She hoped her friend had a good selection of movies to watch.

--

_Hei woke up to find himself surrounded by nothing but a white fog. _

"_Brother!" His sister's voice called out to him._

_He looked behind him to see his sister smiling. She slowly approached him, as if she was floating on a cloud, and raised her right hand up. As Bai reached him, she placed her hand above his heart, and then let it seep into him, along with the rest of her body. He turned around to see if she had passed through him, but there was no sign of her. _

_Suddenly Amber appeared before him. She seemed fine, but her body language showed uneasiness for a Contractor. _

"_Amber?" Hei questioned. "What's going on? Where's my sister?"_

_The white light grew brighter, causing him to close his eyes. He felt someone wrap his or her arms around him, believing it had been Amber, and then he found himself falling. He wrapped his arms around the person holding him, and braced for the sudden stop._

_However, it never came. _

_Instead, his body seemed to be hovering, but then he felt something soft underneath him. He reopened his eyes to see he was lying on the ground. It seemed to Hei he had been dreaming the whole event._

_Hei stood while slowly looking around, not knowing where he was. The trees were leafless, and the air was a cloud of smoke. There wasn't any sign of Havac or other Contractors. He started to run in the direction of the gate._

"_Bai, Bai! Where are you? BAI!" Hei screamed out hysterically. "BAI!"_

_He ran through the woods for hours, but Hei couldn't find Bai, Havoc, Amber, or even Heaven's Gate. He knew he was lost. He kept running on while screaming out for his sister, and becoming fatigued to the point of almost passing out. _

_Suddenly something hit him from behind hard, knocking him down onto the ground. He painfully looked over his shoulder to see a man highlighted in blue, and his eyes crimson red as the Contractor walked towards Hei. The Contractor swung an air-like whip at Hei, wrapped it around to pin his waist and arms together, and flung him hard onto a tree to knock the breath out of him. The Contractor tied his whip around Hei and the tree, and then slowly walked up to him._

_  
Hei glared at him devilishly, as he fought with his restraints. The Contractor took his hand and wrapped it around Hei's neck._

"_I would have just choked you with my whip, but I couldn't let you have access to your wire. Beside, I'm going to have more fun killing the Black Reaper with my bare hands. Die, Black Reaper." _

_The Contractor tightened his grip around Hei's neck like a vice grip. Hei cringed from the sudden pain, and then struggled to breathe. He continued to wrestle against the air-like whip, as he tried to move his right arm towards his blade. _

"_It will do you no good, Black Reaper!" shouted the Contractor. "You'll be dead before you can remove your knife! Just give into the abyss that will overwhelm you in a matter of seconds!"_

_Hei growl-hissed while he grinded his teeth, thinking he was going to die at the hands of a monster. His vision became hazy, as he felt fatigued, making him close his eyes and search for strength to fight against his demise. Hei felt his hand grip the handle of his blade in which it made him summon the energy he needed to cut the Contractor's throat. Suddenly the sound of electricity crackled before him. The Contractor screamed from extraordinary pain and released his hold on Hei. _

_Hei opened his eyes to watch the Contractor fall, dying as he said, "What…How…?" _

_He hit the ground with his eyes still wide open. _

"_Bai," said Hei excitedly. _

_He looked around for her, hoping to see those beautiful eyes before she passed out, but there was no sign of her. Hei then heard people yelling through the woods. Seconds later, five men in black with machine guns surrounded him. Hei grabbed his wire and blades as one of the men yelled out. _

"_Die Reaper."_

_Hei threw his blade at the man's stomach while throwing his wire onto a tree and swung away, as the other men opened fire where he stood. Hei hid behind the tree while the men fired at it. Hei hooked his wire to his other blade and threw it down toward another man, stabbing him in the head. The remaining men surrounded the tree and fired, as Hei swung over to the next tree, and threw his blade into another one's head._

_Hei jumped from the tree, ran over to the dead body, and removed his blade from the man's skull. One of the remaining men opened fired at him, but Hei took cover behind a tree, as the bullets impaled the bark. The man continued firing, destroying the trees and tearing up the ground, until his gun ran out of bullets. Hei used the opportunity to charge at him, as he held out one of his blades, screaming his sister's name in rage. Electricity ran through the blade while he whipped it to cut the man's throat. Hei looked at his hand flabbergasted, as he wondered what had happened. He pushed it aside and took cover behind another tree as someone else fired at him. Suddenly the gun jammed. Hei charged at the new attacker while gripping his blade firmly, causing electricity to flow through it again, and sliced the man's chest._

_Hei breathed out heavily, as he sluggishly started walking through the deserted woods and began wondering if he was going to wake up from the nightmare. First, there was the explosion, then his sister disappearing before his eyes, and now it seemed he had her power. _

"_Bai!" Hei called out. "Bai, where are you?"_

_He heard another platoon of men yelling, and then saw khaki camouflage scrounging through the murky terrain. Hei readied his blade for another fight._

"_Hei, is that you!" a man's voice yelled. "Men, don't fire, he's one of ours."_

_One of the men Hei had trained with walked up to him. He was built like Hei with the same haircut dyed red and brown eyes. _

"_Daisuke?" Hei said flabbergasted. "What happened, why are you here? Where's Bai?"_

"_Well, we were hoping you could tell us," replied Daisuke. "Two days ago there was an explosion here and quite a few Contractors and humans were killed. Heaven's Gate has disappeared and no one can seem to get anywhere near where it use to be. Many organizations have sent their soldiers out to look for anyone still alive. So far you're the only one we found."_

"_Two days ago?" questioned Hei. "But it just happened this morning."_

"_Are you feeling all right?" Daisuke asked, looking at Hei concerned. "Did you hit your head during the blast?"_

"_I'm fine. You said no one else but me?"_

"_Hai."_

_Hei cursed and continued running through the forest while looking for his sister and screaming out her name. Daisuke came up behind him and took a hold of his arm._

"_Hei, calm down," he said._

"_I got to find my sister to make sure she's alive."_

"_We know she's alive, Hei. We just got a call saying her star was active not to far from this area a little while ago. That's why we came here, so calm down, we'll find her."_

_Hei looked at Daisuke stunned, and then at his hands while wondering what had happened. He had searched everywhere in this area, and he had been the only one around besides the platoon that had attacked him. In addition, he had somehow sent electricity through his blade when he killed two of them. Did he set off Bai's star? Did he somehow gain his sister's power? No, it couldn't be true. _

_He then realized he hadn't passed out yet. Hei sat under a tree and tried to summon electricity in his hands again, but nothing happened and figured his mind was playing tricks on him. _

_A jeep arrived a little later, as Daisuke greeted the men inside. They exited the vehicle and followed him over to Hei._

"_Hei, these men are going to take you back to base while we continue to search for survivors," said Daisuke._

"_No, I want to stay here and help find Bai," replied Hei._

"_Hei, your body's in no condition, you need to rest and eat. Go back to base." _

_Daisuke gestured the men to take Hei._

"_NO, I NEED TO FIND BAI," screamed Hei, as electricity flowed throughout his body, causing the men who were holding him to jolt back from the shock._

_Everyone looked at Hei flabbergasted, as Hei fell to his knees and sat motionless. After a half minute he looked at the men lying knocked out on the ground, and then raised his hands up to stare at them. _

"_Why… why…Bai?" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. _

"_BAI!" he shouted while looking up at the sky. _

--

Misaki woke to realize she had slept most of the day, as the sun began to set. She stood and yawned from exhaustion while heading for the toilet, but stopped as she noticed Kanami had falling asleep on her couch watching a movie. Misaki kept the lights off in order to let her friend sleep, as she entered her closet, and pulled out a couple of blankets to place them over Kanami. She thought about waking her incase the Syndicate attacked Li tonight, but she didn't know how to persuade her friend to leave.

Her stomach growled a little, making her fix something to eat. Halfway through her lunch she heard noises coming from her bedroom. She went to check on Li and saw him tossing and turning in the bed. She could tell he was having another nightmare and went over to try to wake him up.

"Li, wake up Li," she said.

"No…Bai…" he said in his sleep.

She flinched at him having another dream about his sister.

"Hei, please wake up," she said while shaking him. "Hei."

He jolted up and shouted, "No…BAI!"

Li was breathing heavily and sweating from head to toe. He gazed around the room, and then stared at Misaki.

"You were having another nightmare," said Misaki.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" he asked, as he slowed his breathing.

"No, I was already up. Is Bai your sister?"

Li looked at her stunned.

"You keep calling out for that name in your sleep."

"Ah, hai."

"Is that her code name? I mean, I don't know much Chinese, but it's just like the Japanese name. Bai means white, right? It matches well with Hei, which the Chinese reading is black in Japanese."

Hei looked at her baffled and said, "You've studied Chinese?"

"Eh, well, I kind of got interested after our time at Alice's party," Misaki blushed.

"Really? Eh, hai. That was her code name."

"I'm surprised you would call your sister by that."

"I had a hard time calling her by her real name when she became a Contractor," Li frowned while averting his eyes, but then smiled as he said, "She always called me brother, though."

"What is her name?"

"Xing," he said still smiling.

"That's a beautiful name," she said, causing Li to look over at her.

"She was beautiful," replied Li.

"That's why you said Li is dead to me, because you are a Contractor." Li's eyes widened in shock at her comment, and then looked down morosely. "Don't forget you were the one who told me you're human, and I will call you Li until you decide to tell me your real name."

Li looked at Misaki flabbergasted, as if he knew she was right, but he couldn't see himself returning to that life. Suddenly, Li's stomach growled loudly, causing Misaki to burst out in laughter.

"Hungry?" Misaki asked while smiling.

"Hai," replied Li embarrassed.

"I'll be right back."

"No, Misaki, I can…"

"It's all right. Kanami made some food for us. I'll just heat it up in the microwave. Please rest; I don't want you collapsing on me again."

Li smiled in agreement.

Misaki exited the room to grab some food out of the fridge, heated it up, and then went back into the room to see Li had fallen asleep. She smiled at him and went to go put the food back into the fridge.

--

Naoyasu sat in his car outside Misaki's apartment with his gun in his hand. He was dressed in black clothes to blend in with the night. He hoped Misaki and BK-201 were asleep so he could sneak into her apartment and kill him. There might not be a better chance then now since BK-201 was so well trained. Naoyasu reached into a briefcase sitting on the passenger seat, pulled out a silencer, and screwed it into his gun's barrel. He grabbed a black ski mask to throw it on his head. He closed the briefcase, put the gun in a holster under his arm, and exited his car while the streets were deserted.

He took the stairs up to Misaki's apartment. Naoyasu pulled out Misaki's spare key he had received from her, covered his face with his mask, and unlocked the door. He entered to see someone lying on her couch wrapped in blankets, and figured it was Misaki. He was pleased she wasn't sleeping with BK-201. BK-201 had come out of her bedroom earlier, and figured he was sleeping in there now. It infuriated him to think that a monster like him would be on her bed, under her blankets and taking in her scent. Naoyasu would kill him ten times over for that alone.

He carefully tiptoed past Misaki, stepped before the bedroom, and opened the door to see BK-201 sound asleep on her bed. Anger built up inside him as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at him.

"Please forgive me, Misaki," he mumbled to himself, as he began to pull on the trigger.

Suddenly someone pressed a gun to his back and clicked off the safety.

"Don't move," demanded his daughter. "Drop your gun, put your hands up, and turn around slowly."

Naoyasu did as his daughter asked, as Misaki slowly backed away while keeping her gun on him. Naoyasu unexpectedly kicked at her gun and knocked it out of her hands. He picked up his gun, as Misaki slid for hers, and pointed it at her father while he aimed his at BK-201.

"Drop your weapon," Misaki demanded.

Naoyasu ignored her, as he glared devilishly at the man who had stolen her heart.

"I said drop your weapon!" yelled Misaki, waking BK-201. He sat up and glared down Naoyasu's barrel. "If you don't I will shoot."

Kanami awoke from the commotion, scurried over to Misaki's bedroom door, and stared on shocked at the standoff.

"What's going on?" she said while wiping the tiredness from her eyes.

Anger built up inside Naoyasu, making him tighten his grip on the trigger, and causing Misaki to fire and knock the gun out of his hand.

"Kick the gun away from you, and put your hands on your head," demanded Misaki.

Naoyasu didn't plan on Misaki being awake at this hour. He didn't want her to know it was he, but he couldn't think of any way out of this mess. His daughter was too skilled for him. Naoyasu did what she asked in which Misaki walked up behind him. She held the gun to his back and pulled his mask off. BK-201 looked at him dumbfounded.

"You're under arrest for breaking and entering," began Misaki, as she turned him around. "You have the right… Father?"

Misaki and Kanami stared at him shocked.

The room became silent as they waited for the other to speak and explain or ask what was going on.

"Wha—what…?" Kanami muttered, as she tried to make sense of things.

"Why?" Misaki asked.

Naoyasu looked at his daughter sadly and said, "I did it for you, Misaki. I did it to protect you."

"What?" Misaki asked, as Kanami looked at them confused.

"He's a murderer, Misaki. I couldn't let you get mixed up with him. He might kill you."

"A murderer?" Kanami questioned.

"Father, he wouldn't do that," said Misaki hurtfully to him.

"He's a Contractor, Misaki," her father yelled. Kanami's eyes widened disbelievingly. "He doesn't have any feelings for you. He's been lying to you."

"No, he hasn't. His feelings are true." She paused for a second and looked over at Hei to smile at him. "And I…I…I love him."

Kanami smiled at her friend, as Hei looked at her dumbfounded. Naoyasu's blood boiled to the point where he would have a heart attack from his daughter's answer, and turned around to grab her gun while she was distracted. Misaki freaked as he pushed her aside and aimed the gun at BK201's head.

"Father, no!"

"Die, BK-201!" he yelled, as he fired the gun.

Unfortunately, BK-201 moved his head out of the bullet's path. He then grabbed the barrel with his left hand and sent an electric shock through his body. Naoyasu lost consciousness and fell on his stomach.

--

"What, how can that be?" Kamami asked, as she looked at Li standing over Naoyasu. "BK-201 died. His star, it's gone. How?"

Misaki ignored her friend's confusion and ran over to embrace Li.

"Are you all right?" he asked while he wrapped his arms around her.

Misaki looked down at her father, as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Hai. You need to get out of here. I'm sure they'll send someone else to kill you."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just surprised they would send my father to kill you."

"I don't think your father told them I was here." Misaki looked at him confused. "He came here by himself because he didn't want to see you get hurt. If he would have told them, they would have sent a Contractor here instead."

Misaki wanted to believe what he said, but she still showed fear in her eyes.

"Okay, what's going on?" demanded Kanami. "Two days ago BK-201's star died? Li's been hurt by NS-719, and now Kirihara-san came over here to kill Li, who is suppose to be BK-201! Kirihara-san must be mistaken him for someone else, right?"

Misaki glanced up to stare into Li's midnight blue eyes.

"You're right, Kanami. BK-201 died," she said before leaning forward and kissing him. They didn't part from each other, as the corrupt world around them vanished.

Kanami sighed, knowing she wouldn't get any answers from them now, and smiled at the couple as she walked over to the balcony. She looked up at the stars confused. BK-201's star used to shine brighter than any of the other stars, but now it was gone. Who exactly was Li? He used electricity just like BK-201, but Contractors did have the same abilities. In addition, Li seemed too emotional to be a Contractor. Her friend had a lot of explaining to do.

--

Naoyasu slowly woke up to see BK-201 was sitting on Misaki's bed and holding her in his arms while she sat between his legs. He glared at him devilishly. How dare a thing like him put his hands all over her body?

"Get away from my daughter, you murderer," he shouted, as he stood.

"Why, Father?" Misaki asked with dismal eyes.

"Because, he's a Contractor…"

"Not that, Father. Why do you work for the Syndicate?"

Kanami entered the room and looked at them confused, as Misaki's eyes burned with fury at her father. He didn't answer her question.

"I have the right to know," she said angrily, as she stood up from the bed.

Naoyasu could see the anger that had built inside her from the lies and deceit she had to endure.

"All right," he caved in. "I joined years ago, when you were in high school. I was a detective like you at the time, but I didn't know about Contractors. I was meeting your mother for dinner while you went over to Kanami's to eat. There was a man who ran by me being chased by other police officers concerning a robbery. I went for my gun while demanding for him to stop, but he kept on running. I took a shot at the man, which caused him to highlight in blue, and then made the bullet ricochet off him to fire back at me. I didn't see her, but your mother had come up behind me, as I ducked out of the bullets path, and it struck her instead.

"I held her in my arms, blaming myself for being so careless, but she had said it wasn't, it was hers. She died moments later. I had never cried so much in my lifetime than I had that day.

"The next day I was approached by a man in a gray suit who had said, 'Join our organization, or lose your memories of your wife and daughter.' I don't have to tell you what I chose."

Misaki looked at her father shocked, as a tear fell from her eye.

"Why haven't you tried to leave?" Kanami asked.

"I didn't want to leave," he replied. "They had the necessities of getting rid of the ones who murdered my wife. Besides, once you're in you can never leave. Ask your boyfriend, Misaki. He was sent to kill many of those who betrayed them. That's why you can't see him, he's a killer."

"You don't know him. He's not like that anymore," replied Misaki.

"I… I don't know him?" questioned her father, his eyelids rising in disbelief. "Who do you think gave him the orders to kill?"

Misaki looked at her father shocked. She thought he was some pawn in the Syndicate, but he was much higher than that. She began to wonder how big this organization was.

"Well, I guess that makes you no better than a Contractor, Father," stated Misaki.

Her father looked at her stunned by her comment, but then reality hit him as he realized what he had been doing. He was killing people without even pulling the trigger, which was worse than a Contractor who followed orders.

"Father, I know you, you're not a killer," continued Misaki. "Please, help us. You have to know some of the top agents. We can go after them and arrest them."

Naoyasu shook his head.

"There's no way, they're too big," he said. "They don't just have people working here in Japan. They're in England, Germany, the United States, and many other big counties. They not only have people working in the police, but government offices and the Military. I don't even know where the headquarters is, if they even have one."

Misaki was wrong; he was a pawn. She sighed in frustration and wondered how they could take down an organization like that? Hei went over to comfort Misaki.

"Li, Hourai was right," began Misaki. "There's no way you can hide from them. They'll…"

Hei placed his fingertip on her lips.

"I don't want to worry about it," he said.

Hei leaned forward to kiss her. Misaki melted into his taste and wrapped her arms around him.

Naoyasu stared at his daughter stunned. How easily Hei's touch calmed her and put her at peace. Her worries seemed to whither away, and the only thing that existed for her was Hei. The last time he had seen her like that was with her mother. Naoyasu frowned at the thought of a Contractor having the potential to do such a thing, but he found himself smiling at her happiness.

"You really do love him," her father said.

Misaki slowly pulled away from him, and said, "Hai, I do, Father."

Her father sighed while cursing at what he was about to do.

"The Syndicate thinks you're dead because of the stone you're carrying," he said while looking at Hei. "Your team was my own project. No one higher up than me knows your identity. Still, many out there know your face. If you want to survive, you should leave the city."

"Father?"

His eyes narrowed at him, as he said, "If you hurt my daughter, I will kill you."

"So does this mean you'll leave the Syndicate?" Misaki asked.

"No, Misaki," he replied. "I told you, once you're in, there's no leaving."

"But…?" began Misaki, but her father stood to leave her apartment.

--

Misaki went to go after him, but Li grabbed her by the arm, and held her back.

"But…" mumbled Misaki.

"He's right, Misaki," said Li. "I've been on the run from their attacks since I destroyed their machine. If it wasn't for yours and Yin's help, I would be dead."

"But if they find out he knew about you, then they'll still kill him."

"He'll be all right," said Li while he comforted her.

"All right, Misaki. What's going on?" demanded Kanami. Suddenly Li's stomach let out a loud growl, which caused Kanami to look around the room startled. "What was that?"

"Ah," began Li, as he scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "I guess I'm a little hungry."

"That was your stomach?"

"Hai," he replied, as his cheeks turned beet red.

"Well then, I guess you guys can tell me everything while we sit down and eat the food I cooked for you earlier."

Misaki and Li smiled as they sat to eat.

Kanami stared flabbergasted at how much food Li could stuff into his stomach. She thought she had made enough food to last four days, but he ate it in less than a half an hour. Misaki began to fill in Kanami about the Syndicate while Li continued stuffing his face with noodles. She told her BK-201 and her father worked for them, and spilled the beans that Li was BK-201, causing Kanami to choke on her noodles and pound on her chest to swallow it.

"But how is that possible?" she asked, and then wiped her mouth. "His star died?"

"We were entrusted with a stone that can prevent Dolls from finding whomever holds it," replied Misaki. "It can also hide his or her star."

"Is there really such a thing?" she asked stunned. "I've never heard of it." Li dropped his chopsticks, reached into his pocket to pull out a bag, and removed a stone to set on the table. He then returned to devouring his umpteenth bowl. Kanami looked at him flabbergasted. "Is he really BK-201?"

"Hai," replied Misaki.

"I guess he's not that scary without his mask, is he?"

"Hai."

Kanami watched as Li continued to slurp a few strands of noodles into his mouth.

"Is that his obeisance?"

Li tipped over his bowl to dump his food onto his lap after Kanami's comment, causing Misaki and Kanami to burst out into laughter. Li stared at them bewildered with noodles hanging out of his mouth. He sucked them up, wiped his mouth, and began to laugh with the women.

--

Kanami dragged Misaki out shopping while Hei stayed behind to get some rest. Misaki didn't want to leave Hei alone in fear he might do something irrational. He had told her he would be fine, but if she were concerned, he mentioned Yin could watch him until she returned. His statement seemed to have upset her. Hei wished he could spend some quality time with her, but it was too dangerous for a dead person like him to be waltzing around in public. Besides that, he didn't have the energy. He also would have liked the chance to pick out a new jacket since his other one had been shredded into nothing.

Hei tried to close his eyes and sleep, but he kept on tossing and turning, and before he knew it, three hours had passed. He decided to depart the bed and took a bath.

Twenty minutes into it, he decided to step from it, grabbed a towel, and dried off his battered and bruised muscular body. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Hei, believing it was Yin, dressed and walked slowly over to the door to open it. He stood frozen stiff at the person standing before him.

"Li-kun?" Saitou screeched. Hei cursed in his head for being a moron and not checking the peephole first. "What are you doing here? Where's the Chief?"

Maybe staying at Misaki's was a bad idea since too many people knew he was here now.

Hei couldn't come up with an answer to Saitou's first question and simply said, "She's out shopping with Kanami."

"What are you doing here?" Saitou repeated.

He searched his mind for an answer, but nothing came up, which made him figure he was losing his touch. He thought about electrocuting him so he wouldn't have to answer, but that would have been a terrible mistake. However, if he did come up with a reasonable answer, Saitou would still invite himself in, and Hei wouldn't get his rest: even though he wasn't getting any.

Saitou noticed his wet hair, and knew he had used Misaki's shower.

"April was right. You and the Chief are seeing each other," he said ruefully.

Hei, realizing that Saitou liked Misaki and didn't want to hurt him, thought of an answer and said, "No, I'm in the process of moving. My apartment's not ready yet, and Misaki was kind enough to repay the favor of letting her stay at my place."

"Really?" Saitou said relieved.

"Hai," he replied, looking as if he was going to pass out.

"Are you all right, Li-kun? You seem a little pale."

The elevator door opened to reveal Misaki and Kanami walking out with tons of bags in their hands. Misaki stared at Saitou stunned, and then glared displeasingly at Hei while she approached them.

"Saitou, what brings you by?" she asked.

"I just came over to check on you, Chief," replied Saitou. "How are you feeling?"

"That's very kind, I'm doing much better. Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"No, I don't want to bother you. You seem to have a lot of company over anyway."

"Ah, don't worry. We have plenty of food," Kanami said. "At least, I hope we bought enough food."

"With Li-kun, who knows?" Saitou said while pointing back at Hei with his thumb.

Kanami and Misaki started laughing, as Saitou joined in. Hei stared at them lost for words but then smiled. Saitou took some of the bags from Misaki, entered the apartment with the women following, and set them on the kitchen counter. Hei tried to take the other bags from Misaki, but she wouldn't let him.

"You need to be resting," she whispered. "And why did you get up to answer the door anyways?"

"I thought he was Yin."

"That's what peepholes are for." She sighed. "Besides, I gave Yin a key. She must have come in when you decided to take a bath. I just saw her peek her head out of the bedroom."

Misaki gestured Hei to sit at the table, as she and Kanami pulled out piles of take out, and placed them on the table. Misaki walked into her bedroom, and exited it moments later with Yin. Hei figured she had asked her to join them. They sat around the table and began to eat.

Saitou left after they had finished eaten. Hei went to go rest on the couch, as Misaki and Kanami pulled out the shopping bags. Yin sat in silence at the table.

"Guess what we bought," Kanami said with a little too much excitement while reaching into the bags to pull out a white graphic v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of dark blue low-cut bootlegged jeans.

Hei stared at the clothes puzzled, and then looked back up at Misaki and Kanami, as he smiled at them.

"Thank you," he said.

"I hope you like them," replied Misaki.

"Hai."

"I also picked this out for you." Misaki reached into another bag to pull out a medium length black leather jacket. Hei looked at her dumbfounded. "Do you like it?"

"Ah, hai," replied Hei. "But how did you know?"

"Yin had told me that NS-719 had completely shredded your green jacket."

"Thank god," mumbled Kanami, as Hei looked over at Yin.

"She also said that the Syndicate had sent someone over to your last apartment, completely tore the place up, and ruined your clothes. We also bought a few more outfits for you too."

Hei stood from the couch.

"I don't know what to say," he said. He walked over to Misaki and kissed her. "Thank you."

"Ah, you don't have to thank us," replied Kanami. "Go ahead and try them on."

"I'm sorry, but I'm a little ti…"

"Ah, then let me help you," blurted out Kanami, as Misaki grabbed her friend to push her out of the room, and closed the door behind her.

Misaki walked back over to Hei and held him in her arms, as she rested her head against his chest.

"I missed you," she said while ignoring her friend who seemed a little upset.

Hei sat on the couch again, as Misaki settled next to him. He wrapped his arm around her while Misaki laid her head on his chest.

Earlier Hei had a hard time sleeping, but as he sat next to Misaki, he fell asleep with no problem.

--

The rest of the week Misaki decided to return to work. Li wouldn't heal if everybody kept checking on her. Yin stayed with him to keep him company, and keep him out of trouble. When she came home from a tiring day, she was pleased to see Li still at her place. On days where she came home after nightfall, he would be fast asleep in her bed. Misaki would crawl under her covers, and cuddle up beside him while forgetting about her troubles.

Li's health slowly improved through the weeks. Kanami came by occasionally to check up on him, but Misaki believed her friend was hoping he was well enough to cook, or sneak-a-peek at them kissing.

At the beginning of the following week, Misaki came home late one day to smell something delicious and noticed her dinner was waiting for her on the table. She smiled at the generous thought, but then wondered where Li was. She saw him sitting on the couch asleep. Misaki walked over to the couch and leaned over to give him a quick peck on the lips, but Li woke up to throw her onto his lap and kiss her.

"You're looking good," she said while gazing into his eyes.

"Hai," he smiled while removing her glasses. "Thank you for everything."

Misaki's heart ached at his words.

"I guess this means you'll be leaving soon," she said, as a tear fell from her eye.

Li kept his eyes on her and wiped away her tear.

"I can't stay here," he whispered.

"I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to either, but if I stay here, the Syndicate is bound to find and kill me. And if they find out about you, they will kill you too. I couldn't live with myself if you died."

Misaki embraced him as tears poured down her cheeks and onto his shoulder.

"Please stay with me a little longer."

Li caressed her cheeks and leaned forward to kiss her. She savored every bit of his sweet lips.

Suddenly Li sat up from the couch while holding Misaki in his arms and carried her to bed. He laid her down and lay over her body with his hands pressed against the bed to support his weight. He smiled at her while staring into her beautiful eyes before kissing her again. Misaki's blood began to run warmer, as she ran her hands along his bare chest, and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him close to her. Their kissing intensified. Li slowly unbuttoned her shirt, kissing down the middle of her chest, as he exposed her skin.

As Li continued to kiss her, all of Misaki's worries escaped her. All she thought about was Li's touch against her body, as they continued to make love.

--

To be continued…

--

A/N: This chapter is for Mirokus wife, Chimera-ally and everyone that wanted to see more kissing since chapter 6. Hope everyone enjoyed. Thanks for reading.


	13. Splendid Morning, Disastrous Night

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Thirteen: Splendid Morning, Disastrous Night

--

The next morning Misaki awakened to the sun shinning through her window. Her naked body lay under the covers as she turned around to embrace Li, but he wasn't beside her. Her heart ached. He probably took off after she had fallen asleep, knowing it would be hard for her to let him go. She pulled the covers close to linger in his scent, causing her to form tears in her eyes and release them. Misaki didn't want to get out of bed in fear of having her only moment drift into nothingness. She cared less about going to work today since she would be too emotionally depressed to work. Misaki closed her eyes and kept imagining his sweet smile, the taste of his lips, and him holding her in his arms.

Suddenly she felt something warm and wet on her lips. She melted in the sweet taste as her tears of anguish turned into tears of bliss.

"Li," she said softly.

Misaki opened her eyes to see Li sitting next to her with a breakfast tray. He laid it over her lap as she sat up holding the covers up over her chest.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said while smiling and wiping her tears away.

"Good morning," she smiled while gazing into his eyes.

Li leaned forward, his hands caressing her cheek, and kissed her. Misaki melted in his taste, remembering their moment last night, which urged her to pull him in tight against her and make love to him again. She could feel him wanting the same, but he slowly pulled away. Misaki smiled at him while trying to hide the bitterness building up inside her, as her heart screamed for him to continue kissing her. Li picked up a spoonful of rice, and held it in front of her mouth for her to eat.

"You never ate dinner last night, you must be hungry," said Li.

Hungry? Of course she was hungry, but not for food. She looked at him for a second, noticing he looked concerned, and then slowly took a bite.

"Delicious," she muttered.

He continued to feed her as Misaki hoped that he could stay injured a little longer. Although, for the rest of their lives sounded more appropriate in her mind, but he was right about having to leave and it hurt her to think about it.

Li held up some more rice for her to eat, but Misaki lost herself in his eyes, as her hunger yearned for something more. Li lowered his hand and dropped the spoon in the bowl as he looked into hers. Misaki began to lean forward to close the gap between them, but she ended up tipping the tray over, and knocked her hot tea and rice into Li's lap.

"Li, I'm sorry," said Misaki.

The hot tea didn't seem to faze him, as he threw the tray on the floor, leaned forward, and kissed her. Misaki melted into his taste and pressed her lips hard against his. She didn't part from him as he crawled onto her to make love again.

Suddenly her phone rang.

Misaki tried to ignore it, but it kept ringing. She cursed while slowly parting from Li and went to go answer it, as he kissed her neck. Misaki smiled from his soft touch.

"Hai, what is it?" she asked, giggling as Li started kissing her ear.

"_Chief, it's Saitou. There was an incident at an apartment in Shib__u__ya last night_," said Saitou, as Misaki continued to giggle.

Li started to kiss her on the lips.

"Um…Hai. I'll… be right… there," she said in between kisses.

"_Um, Chief. Are you all right?" _

Misaki ignored his concern and hung up the phone to continue to kiss Li. She wanted to go another round with him, last longer if they could, and stay in bed with each other all day long. Unfortunately, duty called.

She slowly parted from his lips, gazed up at him, and said, "I have to get ready."

Li looked at her lost for words, but nodded and kissed her one last time before departing her bed. Misaki stood from the bed while wrapping the covers around her to keep warm. She looked back at Li to see him smiling as she smiled back and left to enter her bathroom.

Misaki removed the covers, turned on the showerhead, and stepped into the warm shower. Her mind drifted onto Li's body. How soft it felt against her skin. She prayed he didn't leave her for a while so she could experience his tender touch some more.

Suddenly Misaki felt Li wrap his arms around her waist. She turned around and kissed him. They began to make love again.

--

Misaki and Li were in her room dressing as they continued kissing. Misaki was zipping up his black pants and buttoning his blue-collared shirt that she and Kanami had bought while Li did the same. After they had finished dressing each other, Misaki pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"You won't be here when I get back, will you?" Misaki asked. Li averted his eyes from hers, as he avoided answering her. "Where will you go?"

Li looked into her eyes to see her crying. She shied away from his stare to hide her anguish.

"I have a job interview," he replied.

Misaki looked back up at him baffled.

"Really?" she asked.

"Hai."

"Not a waiter's position, I hope," said Misaki while remembering all the jobs he had and the trouble that followed.

"No, a chef."

Misaki smiled. "That's good to hear."

"It's by an apartment that I found."

Misaki's heart sank into her stomach. She was surprised to hear he had been out looking for a place, which meant that he would be leaving for sure.

"Really, where at?" she blurted out, knowing he wouldn't answer her, but it was worth the try.

Li didn't answer. He smiled at her as he embraced her in his arms. Misaki felt safe, but that security was slipping away from her, which caused more tears to pour from her eyes, as she leaned her head against his chest.

"You'll be late for work," Li said.

"I'm not going," stated Misaki. "I want to stay here with you until you have to leave for your interview."

"I have to leave soon."

"I'll follow you."

"Do you think you can?"

Misaki held onto Li even tighter. He would need to electrocute her in order for her to let go, and she knew he couldn't do it.

Suddenly Li guided her backwards and laid her on the bed. He began to kiss her in which she returned while holding onto him dearly. He slowly parted from her lips.

"My apartment won't be ready for another day," he said softly to her, as Misaki looked at him shocked. "I'll be here when you get back."

"Promise?"

"Hai."

They began to kiss again, not parting from each other, until it was time for Li to leave.

--

Hei stood next to a stove, wearing a white apron and a chef's hat, as he added noodles into a pot of boiling water. His interview was to cook a meal against four other chefs that were competing for the position. The manager would be judging them on how well they cooked.

An ugly pudgy, medium height and shorthaired chef in his early thirties approached Hei.

"Hey man, whatever you're cooking smells good."

"Ah, arigatou."

"Hey, do you see that girl over there," the pudgy chef said, as he pointed behind Hei.

Hei looked over his shoulder to see he was pointing at a young and petite female chef with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"I think she likes you. I keep seeing her look over your way. You should go say hi to her."

"Eh, I'm a little busy, sorry," said Hei.

"What, you're going to pass up a cute girl like that?"

Hei didn't answer and turned around to continue cooking.

"Well, I guess that means she's mine," he said.

He walked over to the girl, said a few words to get her to look at him, and then kissed her. The girl's face burned with fury and smacked him across the face. Hei ignored the commotion, as he tasted one of his noodles.

Suddenly his face turned beet red, his mouth burning hotter than a volcano, as sweat streamed down his forehead like a waterfall. He swiped at it, but the accumulation didn't stop, and he didn't think twenty glasses of water or milk would extinguish it.

Hei looked back over at the pudgy chef to see him smiling devilishly at him. The creep must have poured hot sauce into his noodles while he got his attention on the girl. He felt stupid for falling for it, but the pudgy moron didn't know two could play this game.

Hei went over to place his hand on an electrical outlet and sent a brief electrical shock through it to cause a blackout in the building. Everyone started to panic, allowing Hei to grab his noodles, walk over to the pudgy chef's stove, and switch out pots.

He returned to his stove with a huge grin on his face and turned the lights back on. Hei took a bite out of the pudgy chef's food, and placed his hand over his mouth to keep himself from hurling the food back into the pot. He grabbed a few spices, dumped them into the pot, and began stirring it faster than a plane's propeller.

Minutes later the manager walked back into the kitchen and started to sample everyone's cooking. First, he stopped at the females stove and tasted her food. He seemed pleased with how it tasted. Next, he went over to a middle aged chefs stove and sampled his. His eyes seemed to light up with delight after tasting his.

Next, he walked over to Hei and sampled it. Hei, unable to see if the spices were enough to sweeten the gruesome taste, feared the manager would gag and die. He could see the pudgy chef holding back laughter at his stove. The manger picked up the spoon and took a taste.

"It's not bad, a little undercooked and needs a little bit more spice," he replied. "You're still young though, keep trying."

The pudgy man looked at the manager shocked, and wondered why his mouth wasn't burning in flames, as the manager walked over to him. He took a taste of the food; his eyes widened as his face burned red and steam boiled out of his ear like a choo choo train.

"HOT!! HOTHOTHOTHOT!!" the manager screamed. "WATER!! WATERWATERWATER!!"

The manger went over to the kitchen sink, turned the cold water on, and stuck his head under the faucet to pour water into his mouth. Unable to quench the scorching flames, he filled the sink up, grabbed a few dozen ice trays to dump into the water, and dumped his head in it like an ostrich sticking his head in the ground.

The pudgy man looked on dumbfounded wondering what had happened.

Moments later the manager removed his head from the water, his face burning from the meal, and angrily looked at the pudgy man while his forehead evaporated the cold water away.

"Out. Out of my kitchen," he said while removing his drenched apron.

The pudgy man began to leave, but as he walked by Hei, he glared at him angrily, and then left.

--

The manager ended up dismissing everyone except the middle-aged guy. Hei was hoping to get that job since it was close to the apartment that was available. It seemed he was going to have to spend a little more time at Misaki's, which he didn't mind, but he felt every second he spent there he was endangering her life.

Hei walked out the front door, wearing his new leather jacket, and started to walk down the street.

"I'm going to kill you," said a voice behind Hei.

He turned around to see the pudgy chef glaring at him angrily. His body highlighted in blue as his eyes turned red. He charged at Hei and swung his right fist at his head. Hei easily moved to his right, causing the pudgy man to strike at him again. Hei wanted to beat him to a pulp for making him lose the job, but being around Misaki had changed his mood and outlook on life.

He instead raised his hand, chopped the back of the man's neck knocking him out, and then continued walking to the station while wondering what the stupid Contractor's power was.

--

Misaki was late arriving at her first destination. Saitou asked what had taken her so long, which she stated she was stuck in traffic. He seemed to wonder how she could look so happy after being stuck in traffic.

Saitou interrupting her moment with Li was about someone claiming they had a Contractor living next to him. The man had stated his neighbor was sending some kind of vibes to have sex with him.

Saitou and Misaki frowned at the comment. Misaki called Kanami to see if there had been activity around the vicinity in which Kanami had said no. Misaki rounded on the guy and warned him not to make bogus calls.

Misaki and Saitou had received another call of an attack in Ikebukuro.

They arrived moments later where a couple of officers in uniform were standing around a pudgy-shorthaired man being carried to an ambulance on a cart, still breathing, with a knife stuck in his chest. To Misaki he looked to be around thirty-years of age by his appearance.

"What happened?" asked Saitou to one of the officers.

"Well, according to a couple of witnesses, this man was being interviewed for a chef position at this restaurant," replied an older officer with gray hair. "I believe they had said his food was too spicy, and he was asked to leave, not to mention he assaulted a young lady."

"We got a call that there was Contractor activity here," Misaki stated.

"Well, believe it or not, this man is SF-452."

"SF-452?" questioned Misaki. "I think I remember something in a file about him. He can make things taste spicy with a touch of a finger."

"What? That's a weird power," said Saitou.

"Not really. I had a few cases where he touched someone's head for long periods of time and it made their heads boil and burst," replied Misaki. "If I'm not mistaken, his payment is to kiss something. Did he sabotage his own food for a joke?"

"No, we think he sabotaged another chef's food, but somehow it back fired on him," replied a younger officer.

"Another chef?" asked Misaki. "Did they give a description of the other chef?"

"Hai. Short black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing black pants and a blue shirt," replied the younger officer. "But we don't believe he was the one who stabbed him. Witnesses had said that they saw the Contractor attack him, but the blue-eyed man easily knocked him out with one blow and took off."

Misaki winced and knew the person was Li.

"Did anyone see who attacked him?" asked Saitou.

"No," replied the officer. "They just saw him get up and then a knife flew at him to impale him in the chest."

Misaki remembered looking at the knife. It defiantly wasn't one of Li's, so she knew for sure he didn't stab him. She began to wonder who did.

--

Hei stepped off the train, ascended the stairs, and walked along the streets towards Misaki's apartment. He then felt like someone might be following him. He stopped and looked down the empty street.

"I know you're there. Come out?" Hei demanded.

"It's been a long time, Hei," said a voice.

A man walked out from an alley as Hei glared angrily at him.

"Daisuke," he said.

He was wearing a black trench coat and had black hair like Hei's hair, but he remembered it being dyed red. His appearance made them look like they were brothers.

"You're looking good, for a dead man," Daisuke smiled. Hei's eyes narrowed at him. "I wonder how much of a bonus I'll get for telling the Syndicate you're still alive."

Hei reached into his pocket for his wire.

"Oh, I didn't come to fight you, Hei," said Daisuke while waving his hands. "I would be no match for you since you gained your sister's power. I was hoping to follow you to your hide out." Daisuke began to walk away. "Well, at least I know where to tell the Syndicate to look."

Hei couldn't let him go. Daisuke wasn't a Contractor, but he was loyal to the Syndicate. Daisuke and Hei used to be good friends during their training since he hated Contractors as much as Hei. When Hei became a Contractor, his friendship with Daisuke had ended. Hei knew Daisuke would tell the Syndicate that he was still alive and living in the area. The Syndicate would derive a conclusion that Misaki had been helping him and kill her.

Suddenly a big man stood in front of Hei who highlighted in blue and his eyes turned red. Hei watched as Daisuke continued to walk off. Hei went to go punch the Contractor and hoped he could end this fight quickly, but his hand passed through him.

The man then walked through Hei, as if he were a ghost, to get behind him. Hei then felt the Contractor kick him from behind, and fell forward onto the ground. He looked over his shoulder to see the Contractor's foot come barreling down and connect with his face.

The Contractor went to kick him again, as Hei rolled to his side and tried to grab his leg, but his hand went right through it.

Hei noticed the Contractor only seemed to go transparent when Hei hit him, and it looked like he needed to be in a solid state to hit Hei. The Contractor went to attack him; this time Hei roundhouse kicked him, as his foot disappeared into the Contractor's body. The Contractor smiled, as he struck Hei's face in which it caused him to electrocute him before he went flying a few feet. The big Contractor screamed from the pain, as he stumbled backwards.

It wasn't enough to stop him. The Contractor drew back his fist to punch Hei, as he rolled out of the way while trying to grab the Contractor's hand, but he snatched air instead. The Contractor went to punch Hei with his right, as Hei moved to his left, but the Contractor quickly swung his other arm connecting with Hei's stomach, and sent him flying to skid on the ground.

Hei lay still to give the appearance of being passed out. The Contractor walked up to Hei, and brought back his right arm. Hei called on his power and looked up while smiling, as the Contractor shook violently from being electrocuted. He looked baffled at how he had been electrocuted, but then noticed Hei had purposely led him onto wet pavement. He fell dead to implant his body in the wet concrete.

Hei, aching from the pain inflicted by the Contractor, slowly stood and looked toward the direction Daisuke had walked off while cursing. Hei needed to find Daisuke before he told the Syndicate he was alive.

Hei looked over at a puddle and noticed Yin's spectre.

"Yin?"

Her spectre seemed to move down the street, as if she were trying to lead him toward his target. Hei took off his new black coat and set it behind a flowerbed. He reached into his pocket to pull out his black trench coat and put it on. He began to run as gunshots came from behind him. He turned around as he shielded himself from the bullets.

"I thought I felt another presence here," he said, as he glared at two men wearing all black with guns pointed at him.

Hei grabbed his wire, as the men fired to have their bullets bounce off his coat, and threw it to wrap them up together while they shook in fear. Hei then sent a volt of electricity through their bodies, causing them to shake violently and fall to the ground.

Hei continued to follow Yin's spectre as she led him a few blocks down. Hei saw Daisuke casually strolling down the street. He followed him down some stairs into a train station. Daisuke stood and waited for a train while Hei walked up behind him.

Daisuke turned around to see Hei, inflicting fear into his eyes and presenting fear towards Hei, as he reached under his arm to grab a blade and throw it at Hei. Hei quickly grabbed a blade from his jacket and held it up to block Daisuke's blade.

Commuters began to panic and ran away from them. Daisuke grabbed another blade and charged at Hei. Daisuke swung his blade in which Hei dodged to his right and tried to punch Daisuke in the stomach, but Daisuke moved to his right.

They stared at each other.

"I didn't expect my men to kill you," said Daisuke. "I thought they'd at least detain you long enough to get away. How did you find me, Hei?"

"I followed your stench," replied Hei, as he began to attack him again.

They continued throwing punches and clanking their blades to form sparks. They struck and crossed blades and pressed against each other while glaring into each other's eyes.

"Why don't you just electrocute me?" Daisuke asked.

"I don't need it to defeat you."

He pushed Daisuke off him. Hei then kicked him to force Daisuke to have a seat. Daisuke stood and charged at Hei to swing his blade. Hei blocked with his left arm, took out his blade, and stabbed it into Daisuke's stomach. Daisuke looked on shocked, fell to his knees, and spat out blood.

He looked up at Hei and muttered, "You Contractors… make me… puke…"

He then passed out.

Hei walked up the stairs out of the station and headed back to retrieve his coat. He suddenly felt danger and looked up to notice four balconies falling.

"Look out!" he yelled at the people walking along the sidewalk. As people looked up, they panicked, but surprisingly they moved out of the debris' path. Unfortunately a young lady walking her dog hadn't moved, which made him run over to push them out of the way, as the balconies crashed onto the sidewalk and cracked it.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

The young lady looked at him startled but said, "Hai."

Seconds later, a light pole was tumbling down towards them. It would have been easy for Hei to move out of its path, but the light pole had hit a power line, causing the electrical wires to fall where he, the young lady and her dog laid. Hei quickly shielded them, as the wire struck his coat. The wires tore through it and his clothing, but it had no effect on him. Hei stood up grabbing the wires, and moved them away from the lady and her dog. She looked up at him startled that he wasn't injured.

Hei looked up too see a store sign falling and quickly picked up the young female while she held her dog, and ran over to a door. He set the lady down, opened the door, and gestured her to take cover.

"You are something else, cutie," a female voice said down the street. He turned his head to his right to see the woman who could melt metal. "To think the Black Reaper actually cares about a woman's life."

Hei glared at her angrily.

"Now that I think about it, isn't there someone else that lives around here that you care deeply for?"

Hei's anger rose.

"After all, she has to be the reason you're still alive."

"I won't let you touch her!" Hei screamed, hoping to get the drop on her, as he flung his knife at her, but it melted before it reached her.

"I thought you would have learned," she said. "I could just pick up my cell phone, make one call, and the Syndicate would be here in a flash to take care of you and your girlfriend. However, that wouldn't be any fun."

He continued to glare at her as she smiled.

"I see you're very quick, but I'm known to have the fastest legs in the Syndicate. I wonder who is faster. Try to catch me before I kill her!" she said and then ran down the street heading towards Misaki's apartment.

Hei ran after her, noticing she was slightly quicker, and it was eating at his pride. She turned around a corner. Hei followed her, but when he got there, she was gone.

Suddenly a staircase fell from above, forcing Hei to dodge to his right. He looked up and noticed the woman on the roof. She ran off from the ledge, as Hei flung his cable to another staircase and recoiled himself up to the roof.

He saw her running and jumped over to another roof. Hei continued to follow her, as she kept jumping from roof to roof. Hei cursed at Speedy Gonzales and didn't think he could catch her. He tried to throw another knife at her, but it melted before it reached its target.

She kept running and jumping on the roofs. Hei saw a piece of loose concrete, picked it up, and threw it at her, as she was about to jump onto the next roof. It hit her on the back, which caused her to lose her footing, and she screamed out as she fell off the roof. A thud sound came seconds later, as Hei reached the ledge, and peeked over it to see the former fastest Contractor lying on the ground awkwardly.

A star could be seen falling from the sky.

--

Misaki arrived at her apartment. She opened her door to walk into a dark room, flicked on the lights, and headed for her bedroom in hopes that Li was in there. The door was opened and she looked through it to see no sign of him. Her heart ached knowing that he had lied and didn't intend to come back to her apartment tonight. She felt stupid and thought she should have followed him. He was right though, he could lose her in a heartbeat, as he did when she tried to follow him from his apartment. Maybe she would get lucky and the restaurant would hire him. At least then she would know where he is.

Misaki's phone rang. She picked it up to see Saitou calling.

"Yes, Saitou, what is it?" she asked.

"_Chief, there was Contractor activity down the street not far from your apartment," said Saitou__._

"I'll be right there," said Misaki tiredly.

Couldn't these Contractors quit for one day? She wanted to pretend to be sick again so she could get some rest. Misaki grabbed her keys and purse and headed for the scene.

--

The police were already present as Misaki arrived before Saitou. She walked up to a couple of officers in uniforms who were standing next to a big man lying on the ground. One was slightly taller than the other who was a little plump and older. She felt as if she was experiencing déjà vu.

"What happened," Misaki asked.

"He's a Contractor," replied the taller one.

"Yes, I got that, what happened?"

The tall man freaked out from her outburst and stood to attention, as sweat poured down his face.

"Hello, Chief," said Saitou, as he approached from behind. "Kanami called and said DA-321 was active in this area. This must be him."

"Eh, witnesses say he was fighting a young man with short black hair wearing black pants and a black coat," said the tall officer a little nerves, and wondered if he should have spoken.

"Yeah, and he appears to have been electrocuted," the plump officer added.

Misaki winced. Li did intend to come back to her, but he was attacked. She began to wonder where he went.

"He was killed by electricity?" Saitou asked confused.

"Hai," replied the plump officer.

"Chief, this is really weird. Kanami had said that DA-321 was the only Contractor active. If he was killed by electricity, it had to be another Contractor. Why wouldn't another star be active?"

"He could have been shocked by an electrical line, or something else," replied the tall officer.

"But he doesn't have any burn marks," replied the plump one.

They stood in silent while trying to think of another possibility.

"There are a couple more men knocked out down the street," said an approaching officer.

"Nani?" replied Misaki.

"Witnesses say it was a man dressed in a black trench coat. They seemed to have been electrocuted."

"Maybe it's that cursed Contractor I've always heard about," the plump officer said. "He uses electricity, right?"

"But he's dead," replied Saitou.

The other officers looked at each other while their faces turned white, as if they had seen a ghost.

"The rumors are true," the tall one began.

"HE IS A GHOST!" they said together, as they held each other and shook in fear.

Misaki and Saitou looked at them and then sighed.

"I guess for now just assume it's a Contractor," replied Misaki. "Keep an eye out for anyone that matches the witnesses' descriptions."

Misaki hoped that the evidence didn't point back to Li.

"Chief," Saitou began. "The more I think about it. They could be right. I mean, the guy was dressed in a black trench coat and possibly used electricity. Maybe the Black Reaper really is a ghost, and that's why no one can kill him."

Misaki stared at him perplexed and then sighed at his ignorance. How did he become a detective in the first place? Now that she thought about it, maybe he could do some go with Gai.

"Saitou, did he look like a ghost at Alice's party?" Misaki pointed out. Saitou blinked hysterically. "Besides, it can't be him since his star is gone. And on another note, I don't believe in ghost stories."

"Maybe you're right, Chief. It just might be a copycat using a stun gun."

Misaki's phone rang again.

"Hai, Kirihara-desu," she answered.

"_Chief, there's another incident at the station by your apartment," _said Kouno on the other end. "_Police are already on the scene. Witnesses said two men were fighting, and one of them is lying on the ground with a stab wound."_

Misaki's heart skipped a beat.

"_There was also another attack just outside the station."_

"Saitou, can you finish up here?" Misaki asked, as she hung up her phone. "There was another incident at the station. I'll go check it out."

Misaki headed over to her car. She jumped into it and peeled off. On her way to the station, Misaki couldn't help but think Li was involved, and hoped he wasn't lying on the ground. She also began to wonder why he would wear his black trench coat. It was a dead giveaway for the Syndicate to find out he was still alive.

She arrived moments later and noticed a few balconies, store signs, and light poles lying on the ground. Medics were on the scene helping the injured. Misaki exited her vehicle; flabbergasted at the mess, and hoped Li was all right.

Ignoring the mess outside, Misaki quickly ran into the station and headed down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she saw someone being carried out on a stretcher. She noticed it was a man with short black hair and dressed in a black trench coat. Her heart sank.

_Li-kun!_

She ran over to stop them and looked down to see it was not Li. She let out a breath of relief.

"B…K…20…1," the man whispered. Misaki leaned down to hear. "Hei's… still… a…live."

Misaki looked on dumbfounded as the men carried him out. Fear began to fill her insides that this man knew Li was alive. She hoped Li was all right. She walked over to some officers and asked what had happened.

"Witnesses had said that it was a fight between two men," said a tall thin officer.

"Were they Contractors?" Misaki asked.

"They didn't appear to be. They were fighting with blades."

"Really," replied Misaki. "Did they give a description of the other guy?"

"Yes. Short black hair, black pants, and a black trench coat are all we got. But, that could be anybody. It even describes the man who was just carried out of here."

"Well if it doesn't appear to be a Contractor, I'll let you officers finish up here."

"Hai."

Misaki began to walk out but then saw one of the knives that the other man must have used. She looked at it closely and realized it was the same kind of knife used at Ikebukuro. This man was obviously the man who attacked SF-542, but why. None of this made sense.

Misaki ascended the stairs and inquired about the mess outside.

"What happened?" Misaki asked one of the officers.

"We believe it was a Contractor the way these balconies seem to have melted," he replied. "Witnesses really don't know what happened, they were all to busy trying to take cover."

"Thank you," replied Misaki, and then went to look around when a young lady and her dog approached her. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, hai," she replied. "I'm trying to find the young man who saved me. I never got a chance to thank him."

"Young man?" questioned Misaki.

"Hai. He had black hair, a black trench coat on, and had the most beautiful blue eyes. Have you seen him?"

_Yes I have, _Thought Misaki. _Last night when I had slept with him, but I'm not going to tell you that!_

"No I haven't," she said instead, "but if I do see a man with that description, I'll be sure to relay your message."

"Thank you."

Misaki's phone rang, making her curse under her breath from all the interruptions.

"What is it?" she barked into the phone.

"_Eh? Oh, sorry if I'm bugging you, __Chief__," _said Saitou.

_Oh, no, not at all, Saitou! I don't mind leaving Li's side to go chasing after Contractors when I should be lying in bed with him!_

"No," she forced herself to say.

"_There was another body found in the next alleyway over here__.__"_

"I'll be right there."

Misaki walked down an alley towards her car, entered it, and headed back over to the other crime scene. With the ambulance and police vehicles, Misaki had to park further away. She exited her car and walked over to the scene.

"Misaki," said a voice coming from down an alley.

She looked down the alley but saw no one present. She walked into it still unable to see anyone. Suddenly something grabbed her arm and pulled her into his or her arms. She looked up to stare into blue eyes. She then noticed his clothes under his leather coat were torn and there were a few bruises and cuts.

"Li? Are you all right?" she asked.

"Hai."

"What happened?"

"The Syndicate."

Misaki looked at him shocked.

"How did they find you?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter."

Li paused for a second as Misaki looked into his eyes and knew what he was about to say.

"No," she started to cry. "You can't leave me."

"I'm sorry, Misaki. These men followed me here. I'm putting your life in danger by staying with you."

"No," she cried out and held onto him tight. "I won't let you go."

"You have to, Misaki. We can't be seen together. They'll kill you."

"I'll never let you go," she repeated, as more tears poured from her eyes.

Li pushed her at arms length and looked into her eyes. He held his hand on her cheeks and wiped away her tears.

"Those tears do not compliment your beautiful face," he said and then leaned forward to kiss her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck while kissing him back, and holding him tight against her. She didn't want to part away from him and let him go.

"Goodbye, Misaki."

"No!" she cried as she wrapped her arms tight around his waist and held her head against his chest.

Li moved his head to whisper something in her ear.

"Li-Hon Wong."

Misaki looked up at him flabbergasted; releasing the tight hold she had on him. He took the opportunity to push her away and ran out the back of the alley. Misaki quickly followed, but as she rounded the corner, she lost site of him.

Misaki stood to look at the empty alley. Tears poured down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. The pain her heart was experiencing was more excruciating than him electrocuting her. She didn't like this feeling. She wanted Li to appear again and tell her everything was a silly game, but he didn't return. Misaki began to whimper, while bending over and rapping her arms around her waist. Unexpectedly she uncontrollably cried out her anguish that had engulfed her soul.

She couldn't handle the anguish that flowed through her like a river. Misaki thought about dying instead of feeling this burden. She knew Li was trying to protect her, but his actions had torn her heart into pieces that would be impossible to mend.

How could a splendid night and morning end in a disaster?

Misaki tried to wipe away her tears and stand, but the pain was too much to bear. She thought of lying down to sink into the abyss of her darkened imprisonment. It was better than trying to get up and fight it. However, she was a Kirihara.

She began to stand, her legs feeling sluggish, and walked out of the alley. She dragged herself over to the scene while she put thoughts of Li to the back of her mind and wiped away her tears. Misaki arrived moments later.

"Chief, your back," said Saitou approaching her.

"A—ah," she muttered in a slight daze.

Saitou noticed her reddened eyes and wet cheeks.

"Chief, are you all right?" he asked.

"Ha—hai" she said while trying to keep her composure.

"What happened at the station?"

"J—just a… street brawl," replied Misaki. Saitou looked at her baffled since he could tell something was bothering her. "Where's the other body?"

"This way, Chief."

Misaki walked over to the body and just stared at it in a daze.

"We believe she is a Contractor," said Saitou, but Misaki couldn't hear him.

"Chief? Chief, are you alright?"

Misaki continued to stare off into space.

"Chief?"

She slowly came out of her daze and looked up at Saitou, and said, "I'm sorry Saitou. Could you finish up here, I'm not feeling so well."

"Ah, hai," he replied with a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you going to be all right, Chief?"

"Hai," she replied softly as she left the scene.

Misaki entered her home and looked around it. Even though Li had been here for a little while, it felt like it was his home too. Her bottom lip trembled from the thought, as a tear ran down her left cheek. She dragged herself into her bedroom, gazing at the mangled sheets, and remembered the intense night they had shared. Li's scent still lingered in the air. Misaki couldn't bear to look at it and exited her room.

She walked over to her couch and laid down on it, as thoughts of Li plagued her mind. Her tears reformed and began running down the side of her face, as she found it difficult to breathe.

--

Naoyasu entered the hospital and headed up to Daisuke's room. When he reached the room Daisuke was already awake. He looked over at Naoyasu surprised.

"Kirihara-san," said Daisuke. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to find out what happened," replied Naoyasu.

"Why did you come yourself?"

"Because, I'm an officer who has come to question a witness, that's all. Now what happened, Daisuke?"

"Sir, it's about Hei. He's still alive."

Naoyasu looked at him stunned.

"BK-201 is alive?" he said playing dumb.

"Hai. I don't know how he did it. I followed him from a restaurant in Ikebukuro to Shibuya."

"Really."

"Does this mean a promotion, sir?"

"Hai," replied Naoyasu.

He grabbed a syringe out of his coat pocket, stuck the needle into Daisuke's arm, and injected the liquid into his body. Daisuke looked at him shocked. He opened his mouth to scream, but Naoyasu placed his hand over his mouth.

"When you wake up, you will remember having a brawl with a street punk," stated Naoyasu.

Daisuke glared up at him before passing out. Naoyasu exited the room, and headed out of the hospital. He thought about how much his daughter loved Hei.

_This is all I can do for you, Misaki, _he said to himself.

--

To be continued…

--

A/N: Haruko is typing chapter fourteen on her desktop. Unexpectedly DTB fan-fiction readers sneak up behind her with devilish starry eyes and baseball bats in their hands. They raised their arms over their heads, and brought their bats crashing down on her.

"How dare you split up Hei and Misaki like that?" growled a fan, as they continued pulverizing her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, it was Sakabatou77's idea!" she cried.

"No it wasn't!" he screamed. "Although, it wasn't a bad idea."

The fans glared at him with death seeping out of their eyes.

"Oh crap!"

Sakabatou77 bolted out of Haruko's with the DTB fans right behind.

--

Well it looks like I won't be able to get the next chapter out for a while, since I'll be recovering from my injuries. He He.

Thanks again for your help Sakabatou77, I was having a little problem getting this chapter the way I wanted. And thanks for being a good sport.

Hope everyone at least enjoyed the beginning scenes with Hei and Misaki, and my spicy food Contractor. He was a lot of fun to write. And how about Misaki's dad; He's so cool.

Thanks everyone for reading.

--

**Edit : 4-30-09: DID EVERYONE JUST HEAR THE GREAT NEWS!!**

From Anime News Network; Looks like theres going to be a new manga being released by Iwahara , who also drew the original character designs in the anime and its suppose to tell a new story. Maybe will get a second season. Thanks to paper_seaguls at LJ for the heads up. (If this is not appropriate to announce on Fanfic, someone please PM me and I'll remove it. And please don't review this. )


	14. Extinguishing the Distance

Darker Than Black: A Heart is not Black

A/N: Has everyone heard the GREAT NEWS? If you haven't, let me be the first to tell you. We are getting a second season. I'm so excited. I can't wait for more Hei. News from Anime News Network and Darker Than Black's Official Japanese web site. There's no date on when it will be released.

Who knows what they'll do with Misaki and Hei, though. Until we find out, I have a few more chapters to keep you entertained. Enjoy them... :)

--

Chapter Fourteen: Extinguishing the Distance

--

Five Months later

Calls concerning Contractor activities continued infesting the Foreign Affairs department, which was tiring out and frustrating Misaki. Most of them had been bogus. One was a woman complaining about her neighbor repeatedly peeping in on her. The neighbor had said he was a Contractor and couldn't help it since it was his payment for his contract. It turned out he was lying.

Her work had been sluggish and she hadn't been eating much as well, which concerned her partners. Saitou decided to take Misaki to McDoness to treat her to some greasy food. Misaki seemed all right while she ate her burger, which pleased him as he stuffed his face with fries. Suddenly Saitou's eyes widened in shock, as he choked on his food and pounded on his chest, and looked at something out the window.

"What is it, Saitou?" Misaki asked.

"BK-201?" he said, as he rushed out of the restaurant.

"Saitou?" Misaki screamed displeased. She stood and followed him. "Not again."

He stopped and pointed his gun at a man who was walking in front of him dressed in a black trench coat with short black hair. He seemed to have the same build as Li, but something about his body language told her he wasn't.

"Freeze, Police," Saitou yelled.

The man in black turned around to show he was wearing a white mask. He looked at Saitou and Misaki, and then turned around to run off. Saitou was about to shoot, but Misaki caught up to him and lowered his gun.

"Chief," questioned Saitou. He then snorted and ran after BK-201 with Misaki beside him. "Why did you stop me?"

"You could have hit someone else," she said.

Saitou and Misaki chased BK-201 down an alley, as he ran around people while throwing objects in their path. The man in black turned onto another street to plow into a man wheeling a cart out from a store, and tumbled over it while knocking stuff everywhere. Saitou caught up and stood him to his feet while slapping on his handcuffs.

"We finally caught you, BK-201," said Saitou.

"It's not him, Saitou," said Misaki.

Saitou looked at her surprised.

"What do you mean, Chief?" he asked.

"How many times are you going to get fooled, Saitou," Misaki said. She pulled off the man's mask that had red eyeliner around red eyes, and showed a pimpled faced quivering man. Misaki noticed he had peed himself. "BK-201 is dead."

"Sorry, Chief."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Misaki asked the man.

"Satoshi!" said a voice behind them. Misaki looked behind her to see the pink girl that was stalking Li dressed in a cat outfit. "Are you all right, what happened?"

"These guys pointed a gun at me. I was running for my life," the man said.

The cosplay girl looked at Misaki and pointed while saying, "AH! Obasan!"

Misaki looked at her upset for calling her old again.

"Where is he?" the pink girl asked.

Misaki looked at her puzzled by her question.

"Where's who?" she asked.

"Who do you think I mean? I spent many months creating this costume for the convention. I was going to ask Li-san to cosplay it for me, but I haven't seen him in months. I had to ask Satoshi because he's the only other guy that fits the build for Mayu Mayu's masked man. I'm dressed in this as his companion."

Misaki and Saitou continued to look back and forth at Satoshi and Kiko confused.

"Convention?" asked Saitou.

"Ah, Li was always so perfect for that part," said Kiko, as she looked up at nothing and batted her eyes while clasping her hands together. She narrowed her eyes at Misaki and pursed her lips. "Where is he?"

"China," replied Misaki, as she began to walk away. Saitou took out his keys and un-cuffed Satoshi.

"Nani!" Kiko cried out and started running after her. "No way, are you serious?"

Kiko continued to ramble on about Li, and caused Misaki to sigh, as she tried blocking out the noise and hurried to her car.

There had been countless Contractors pretending to be BK-201 to spark fear into their opponents, but they weren't as skilled, and Misaki and her partners took them down easily. This was the first time the person turned out to be a cosplayer though.

Misaki hadn't even heard a word from Li. He didn't seem to be involved with any of the attacks she had been called out to handle. She wondered if he still lived in Tokyo. Things were quiet concerning him, which made her think he was living in Yokihama, Kyoto or he had returned to China. For all she knew, he could have moved to the United States.

She even did an investigation on his name, Li-Hon Wong, to see if he had moved back to his hometown. She was surprised at the hundreds of Chinese men with the same name, but she was flabbergasted that none of them had blue eyes. The cop side of her wondered if Li had lied to her about his real name just to distract her, but her heart believed he wasn't.

She wondered if he was even alive.

Yes, she's sure he's alive. Yin would have gotten in touch with her if he weren't, unless something happened to her.

--

Two days later Misaki had gotten a call from Kanami about Contractor activity in Ogikubo on Ome Kaido Street, and headed out to check on it.

Misaki arrived at the scene as Saitou pulled up in his car with Kouno in the passenger seat. She greeted him while exiting her vehicle and walked over to where officers stood around a knocked out and tied up man. Misaki believed he was the Contractor Kanami had mentioned.

"What happened?" Saitou asked.

"We don't know. The Contractor hasn't awakened yet," said one officer.

"It looks like he was electrocuted," said Kouno.

Misaki stared at Kouno shocked and then looked at the Contractor.

"Was another star active?" she asked Saitou.

"Kanami only told us that ZY-543 was active," stated Saitou.

The Contractor woke up, gazed around his audience, and grinded his teeth from his position. He tried to use his powers but nothing happened.

"Don't bother," said Saitou. "You were injected with a serum that will leave you paralyzed for a couple of hours."

"Nani, I've never heard…" began the Contractor.

"It's a brand new technology. Tell us who you were fighting."

The Contractor looked at Saitou and simply said, "The Black Reaper."

Everyone stared at him dumbfounded. Saitou looked over at Misaki and said, "Chief, another copycat?"

Misaki's heart began to pound against her chest. Li was still in the city. Was he living in Ogikubo?

She quickly left as Saitou yelled out, "Chief, where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, Saitou. I just remembered somewhere I have to be," she replied, as she entered her car and drove off to blaze through the city.

She stopped at every restaurant asking if they had a Chinese man working for them, or maybe eating here. Misaki also gave a brief description of him while wondering why she never took a picture of him. They all said no.

The night was falling upon the city in which Misaki decided to head home.

When she reached her place, she sat on her couch staring into space, as she continued to think about Li. He had to be living somewhere around Ogikubo. She thought he might be working in one of their ramen restaurants. She wasn't going to give up finding him, and she planned to go back there tomorrow after work.

_Please come back to me, Li_

Her doorbell rang.

She headed over to the door and looked through the peephole to see Kanami outside in the hall. She opened it, let her in, and went back to sit on her couch depressed.

"Are you all right, Misaki?" Kanami asked. "Saitou called and said you were acting weird, and you decided to take off on him again."

Misaki didn't look up at her friend or answer her.

"You need to get over Li," stated Kanami.

Misaki thought on her words, and whimpered at it, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"He's still here," she said finally. Kanami looked at her friend baffled. "ZY-543 was electrocuted."

"That doesn't mean its Li, it could have been another Contra…" began Kanami.

"Was there any other stars active?"

Kanami looked at her concerned and said, "No, there wasn't."

Misaki's bottom lip trembled while fighting against her emotions.

"I—I know… it was him," said Misaki. Her tears poured down from her eyes. "I—I miss… him."

Kanami grievingly stared at Misaki and wrapped her arms around her to comfort and let her cry her broken heart on her shoulder.

--

Misaki continued to drive around Ogikubo, stopping off at all the restaurants and apartment buildings looking for Li, but there was no sign of him. She couldn't believe how many men there were out there that had short black hair and blue eyes. She wondered if they were all wearing colored contact lenses. She entered a restaurant called Ramen and More and was greeted by a waitress.

"Table for one?" the waitress asked.

Misaki was about to ask her if they had a Chinese man working here when suddenly her stomach let out a little growl.

"Hai," she replied.

The waitress guided her over to a table. Misaki went to sit in a chair as her stomach growled again. She didn't realize how hungry she was, and remembered she didn't eat anything all day. She cursed herself for not eating and wished the waitress would hurry up.

The waitress walked over to take her order, and looked at her crazy when she asked for three bowls of ramen to start.

Minutes later the waitress brought her ramen. Misaki stared at it not eating, as she thought about all the ramen Li had eaten. A minute later, her stomach growled again, reminding her she needed to eat something. She slowly grabbed the chopsticks and began to eat the food. Her eyes lit up at the taste. Now she knew why Ogikubo was really well known for their ramen. She made a note in her head to come back here again, hopefully with Li.

Suddenly something hit her as she felt there was something familiar about the ramen's taste.

"Umm, excuse me," Misaki called out to the waitress. She came over to see what Misaki needed. "Could I meet the chef of this delicious ramen?"

"I'm sorry, but I believe he just went home for the day," replied the waitress.

"Could you tell me his name, please?" Misaki asked, hoping it was a Chinese name.

"I believe it was Hizumi," the waitress replied.

Misaki stared at her for a few seconds, taking in her words, and then looked at her food nodding while trying not to cry.

"Um, you don't by any chance have a young Chinese man with short black hair and blue eyes working here?"

"A Chinese man? No, I'm sorry." the waitress replied. "The only man that might fit that description is Hizumi, but I've never paid attention to his eyes since he wears glasses."

"Glasses?"

"Hai."

"Dead end again," she mumbled to herself.

"I'm sorry, did you need something else?" the waitress asked.

"Ah, no. Thank you."

A half hour later, and five empty bowls of ramen, Misaki left the restaurant to drive around Ogikubo to search for Li. She surprised herself at how much she had eaten since she hadn't had that much of an appetite in awhile. Suddenly Misaki's phone rang. She picked up it and placed it next to her ear.

"_Chief, where are you?"_Saitou asked on the other end. _"We've been worried. Kanami's been trying to call you."_

"I'm in Ogikubo," Misaki replied. "Why?"

"_Really? Kanami said that there's Contractor activity in that providence."_

"Where?"

"_Close to Otaguro Park."_

Misaki's eyes widened as she realized she had driven by it. Misaki slammed on her brakes to perform a U-turn, and shot over to the park. Moments later she stopped in front of the gate entrance. She happened to see a brown haired man highlight in blue while running into the park. Two other men and a blond woman were with him with machine guns.

Misaki pulled out her gun from her purse and exited her vehicle to follow them into the park. The four of them stood on a long square patio sidewalk that led to a house, and was surrounded by Ginko and Zelkova trees. She took cover behind one of the trees while peeking around it.

"You can't hide from me, I can track anyone," the Contractor yelled out. "Fire, men."

The men open fired throughout the park. Misaki quickly moved behind the tree as bullets impaled it. A few minutes later the men stopped.

"I know your still there," the Contractor said. "I can even feel a presence of someone else in this park who is probably working late. I will kill her if you don't come out."

Misaki started to tremble, as she feared the Contractor knew she was there. Instead of becoming bait, Misaki pointed her gun at the men and was about to yell, 'freeze, police,' but then noticed a man step from the shadows of the trees. Misaki looked on shocked to see Li standing there, wearing his black trench coat over his jeans and t-shirt she had bought for him. His piercing blue eyes had a kind of calm anger that would make any grown man fear him. She had never seen this side of him without his mask, which managed to scare her more than his mask.

"This is your last chance, Hei. Will you join us?" said the Contractor.

"I refuse," replied Li.

"Kill him," the Contractor screamed

Two men aimed their guns at Li, as the woman glowed blue and her eyes turned red, causing Misaki to aim her gun. They open fired at Li as Li hooked his wire to a tree and flung out of the bullets' paths. The woman Contractor smiled at her men to seize fire, making Misaki wonder what was up.

Suddenly she saw six bullets charging at Li. She was about to scream out to him, but he saw them approaching and flung out of the way. However, the bullets continued to follow him. She tried to watch Li jump from tree to tree dodging the bullets, but she lost site of him.

Misaki thought she heard the bullets strike something and hoped it wasn't Li.

Misaki started to fear for his life. She aimed her gun at the woman Contractor; figuring she could take out her, but she stopped when she saw Li above the Contractor on a tree branch. Li's body highlighted in blue and his eyes turned red, as he threw his wire to wrap around the female Contractor's neck and electrocuted her. Li then released the wire as the men opened fire at him, but Li jumped out of the bullets' paths and seemed to disappear into the trees.

The men started firing their guns around in panic. Suddenly Li's wire flung down from the trees again and wrapped around the tracking Contractor. A volt of electricity was sent through his body and he fell forward dead. The two remaining men looked at their leader flabbergasted, but then turned their attention to Li who dropped out from the trees. They shook in fear as Li flung his wire onto a tree branch, and swung himself into one of the men to knock him down. The other man aimed his gun as Li grabbed the barrel and sent a volt of electricity through it to shock the man. The other man stood and went for his gun, but Li grabbed his wire to swirl it around the man's wrist and electrocuted him.

Li's back was facing Misaki as he walked over to the tracking Contractor. He bent down, reached in his pocket, and fiddled for something. Seconds later Li pulled out a few items, and put them in his pocket.

Misaki slowly stepped from behind the tree, her emotions uncontrollably guiding her towards the man she loved. Her heart pounded against her chest, simulating time itself that had past for her without Li, as she stretched out her arm to extinguish the distance that had built up between them.

_Li, don't leave me. _Her heart and soul begged.

Suddenly Li turned around, snatched her arm, and threw her onto the ground with his blade pressed up against her throat. He stared down at her with killing intent blazing from his eyes, but Misaki didn't fringe as she showed anguish in her eyes. She wasn't afraid of his blade spilling her blood; she was terrified he would disappear from her forever.

Li snapped out of his daze and stared at her shocked.

"Mi—Misaki?" he stuttered.

Li removed his blade as they continued to stare at each other for minutes without moving. He then dropped his weapon and vigorously kissed her.

"What… are you… doing here?" he asked in between kisses.

"I've… been looking… for you," Misaki muttered.

Li tore his lips from her lips and looked into her eyes.

"You could have been killed," he stated.

"I had to see you. I've missed you," she said.

Misaki grabbed his neck and pulled him back to kiss her. It had been months since she had last tasted his lips, but having him with her made it seem like it had been only yesterday. Their kissing intensified while her desires burned uncontrollably for him. She wanted him to take her anywhere and make love to her again as she had dreamed every lonely night on her couch.

Suddenly Li's lips withdrew from her lips, causing a dismal burden to overwhelm her, but noticed his eyes were radiating like they had a few minutes ago, as he looked towards the front entrance.

"So this is how everyone thinks your dead, Hei," said a man's voice.

Misaki arched her head backward to see a tall thin man with medium length brown hair dressed in a brown trench coat. He also had a machine gun in his right hand.

"The Black Reaper has falling in love with someone. How ironic," the brown-haired man smirked. Li placed his hand on one of his blades. "Kirihara lied to us about his daughter protecting you. It looks like after I take care of you and the pretty lady, I have another job to do, and maybe I can take over his place too. Your emotions will be your downfall, Reaper."

The brown-haired man began to laugh hysterically, as he opened fire. Li shielded Misaki with his coat and threw one of his knives at the brown-haired man. The knife struck the machine gun, causing the brown-haired man to bobble backwards, and giving Li and Misaki an open window to run and take cover behind a tree. The brown-haired man cursed and pulled the trigger recklessly to pour ammo into the tree and shred away its bark.

The man stopped firing and yelled, "Still alive?"

"Stay here," whispered Li to Misaki as he began to walk around the tree.

"Wait," Misaki pleaded. "You'll be killed."

She felt a moment of déjà vu exploit her brain, and remembered her saying something similar to him when he had almost put a bullet in November Eleven back at his old apartment. Li seemed to notice it as well and smiled.

"I'll be all right," he assured.

Misaki watched Li walk out to stand ten feet in front of the man and feared he would be shot. The man aimed his gun at Li and continuously fired, as Li held his arm up over his head. Misaki watched flabbergasted as the bullets bounced off his jacket and dropped harmlessly onto the ground. It made her wonder why he dodged all the other bullets earlier, but figured he was having fun with the men and she thought he was insane.

Li glared at the man angrily to inflict fear, which caused him to run out of the park. Li flung his wire to wrap it around the man's neck and sent electricity through it to electrocute him. The man screamed out in pain and fell onto the ground unconscious.

Misaki walked around the tree to see Li staring at her smiling. She returned it while walking over to go embrace him, and check to make sure he didn't have any bullet holes in him. She was pleased to see no signs of blood on him, and couldn't believe his coat was bulletproof.

It was only then that she noticed he trimmed his black hair shorter in the back, which made him look more handsome than he already was. She went to run her fingers through his hair and kissed him.

Suddenly, Li pushed her back at arms length and looked at her shoulder. "You're bleeding," he said in a panic. "Did you get shot?"

Misaki looked over at her shoulder to see it was dripping blood as Li began to examine it. She hadn't even noticed.

"I must have just scratched it on a tree," she replied. "I'm fine."

"Misaki."

"I'll get it looked at, I'll be fine," she assured him.

Misaki watched as it looked like he was about to rip some fabric from his shirt.

"No!" she yelled while grabbing his hand. Li looked at her baffled. "Please, Li. I bought that for you, please don't destroy it."

Li smiled at her as she began to rip some fabric from her shirt, but he held on to her hand to stop. He reached into his pocket to pull out something that was wrapped in cloth. He unraveled it to show two syringes. He put them back into his pocket, as he took the cloth and tied it around her arm just above the wound to stop the bleeding.

He pulled the syringes back out from his pocket and held them up for her to take.

Misaki looked at them curiously. "What's in those?"

"It's new ME-technology."

"ME?" Misaki questioned. "Did they plan on using it on you?"

"Hai," he said while handing them to her. "These might come in handy for you."

"Why not just kill you?"

"They want to erase my memory and alter it to where I'm working for them."

"Are they with the Syndicate?"

"They do work for them, but they want to branch off from them. They happened to find me where I was working, and decided to follow me after my shift so they could ask me for my help. When I refused them, that's when they started to attack me."

"Do you think they told them you're still alive?"

"No. Misaki, you have to stop following me. These men could have killed you."

Misaki looked down at the ground depressed.

"I can't," she said, as she looked back at him.

Her tears began to develop in her eyes to show her bitterness he had caused from his absence. One escaped to run down her left cheek. Li removed her glasses to swipe his index finger across it, and then caressed her chin. He slowly drew to Misaki and kissed her. She clenched her eyes to hold back her tears, but it did no good as they ran down her cheeks to sweeten their kiss.

Li pulled away from her and placed her glasses in her hand. Misaki held onto Li tighter, making sure he wouldn't leave her side again.

"Misaki, please," Li whispered, "Let me go."

"NO!" she cried out.

"Please, don't make me do it."

Misaki held onto him even tighter believing he couldn't electrocute her.

Suddenly sirens could be heard in the distance, which made Misaki loosen her grip on him. Li took the opportunity to push away from her. He turned around and took off running. Misaki gasped and chased after him, running as fast as she could to catch up, but she lost him as he ran behind the house. She felt like she was chasing him again when she didn't know he was BK-201.

Misaki put on her glasses and looked down the empty park. Her legs became heavy from the pain that engulfed her heart and dropped to her knees. She found it hard to breathe, as if the Black Reaper had wrapped his wire around her chest, and he was squeezing the life out of her.

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her.

"Li?" stuttered Misaki.

She turned around, hoping to be staring into his midnight blue eyes, but there was only a black cat with a red collar roaming through trash. She recognized it as the cat that had been hanging around Li's old apartment. Misaki started to think about the time she saw it lying in Li's lap and found it funny that it seemed to follow him to Ogikubo too. She then thought that that was why Li's old landlady had not seen it lately. She smiled at the memories, but began to wonder if it really was Li's cat. She made a note to ask him about it, if she ever saw him again.

--

Hei made it back to his apartment after stopping off at a fast food restaurant. His new apartment was similar to his old one, except his kitchen area was slightly bigger. It was as empty except for a table in the corner and two futons. Yin was sitting on a chair over by a balcony window, and her feet in a pot of water. Hei set the food on the table.

"Welcome home," she said.

Hei smiled at her, but then frowned at her when he noticed her feet were in one of his cooking pots.

"Yin, I told you before, I use that pot to cook rice," he said. "Please don't use it for your spectre."

Yin nodded to his reply, as he walked over to her and handed her some food. Yin was wearing a blue dress similar to her purple one, but the skirt didn't flare out. She wore a dark gray and medium length form-fitting jacket over it. They were clothes that Misaki and Kanami had picked out for her when they dragged her out shopping while Hei was staying at her place. They had even taken her to a salon where they had her hair trimmed and dyed black. It was still long, but she wore it down. Hei almost didn't recognize her when she had walked through the door. Misaki had said it was best this way to keep the Syndicate from spotting her. He had asked her why black hair in which she replied that it made her look Asian, and that she could pass off as his sister.

"Is that all you're eating?" questioned Yin since Hei had purchased a small box of noodles.

"Hai."

"You saw Kirihara-san."

"Hai," he said, as he kneeled down to eat at the table.

"Are you all right?"

"Hai, I'm fine," he said, and grabbed some food with his chopsticks.

"You were doing it again."

Hei froze while holding the food up to his mouth.

"Doing what?" Hei asked, looking baffled.

"The same thing you did with her in the shower."

Hei looked at her dumbfounded.

"But you were interrupted," she finished.

Hei continued to stare at her shocked. He needed to teach her some manners and reminded himself never to do it again in the shower. He took a bite of his food.

"Can you teach me?" she asked, making him spit out the food all over his table.

"Eh…well I…I don't think I…"

"I'll ask Kirihara-san," said Yin, causing Hei's eyes to widen as large as softballs. It looked like he had to keep Yin away from Misaki too.

--

Saitou looked over his desk to see Misaki sitting gloom-faced while staring at her computer screen with an untouched bean bun in front of her. Her misery concerning something had returned.

Ootsuka walked over and dropped off a few files related to a Contractor case. Saitou looked up at her and whispered, "You noticed the Chief's mood? It's just like five months ago."

"She looks love sick," replied Ootsuka.

"Love sick?" Saitou asked looking puzzled.

"Hai. That's how The Rose of Morris's main character was like when he got dumped."

Saitou narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Real life and anime don't coincide, Ootsuka."

Ootsuka frowned at him.

"Have you ever watched the anime or read the Manga?" she challenged.

"No, but even if you're right, I didn't know the Chief had been seeing someone. Did you?"

"I thought she was five months ago before she started acting all depressed. She was always coming in here with a glow on her face. I could tell she was in love with someone. I tried to get it out of her, but she kept brushing it off saying she was happy about solving a case. But I knew."

Saitou looked at Ootsuka feeling a little jealous towards the lucky man who had stolen Misaki's heart.

"Now that I think about it," continued Ootsuka, "I bet you it was that person November was teasing her about. I think his name was Li."

Saitou cringed from shock, as Ootsuka walked off. He remembered April had mentioned that November Eleven had thought Misaki had feelings for Li. It might explain why he had caught Li at Misaki's apartment five months ago. Misaki had also told him that Li had been deported back to China. It all fit, and it gave the conclusion why she was heart-broken.

He felt jealous toward Li-kun and wanted to find him and kick his butt for hurting Misaki. He wondered if Kanami knew something and grabbed his coat to go visit her at the lab.

--

Misaki had asked Kanami that if there was any Contractor activity in Ogikubo to let her know right away. Kanami had called to tell her there was activity in the vicinity at a ramen restaurant. Misaki decided to head over there.

She was amazed the restaurant had been the same one she had eaten at the other day. She walked into the small restaurant to see bowls, tables, and everything else had been thrown around. Misaki walked up to a few officers.

"What happened?" Misaki asked.

"Contractor," replied one of the officers.

Misaki sighed as she wished people would stop saying that when she arrived. Didn't they know she wouldn't have been called to the scene if it weren't a Contractor?

The officer pointed over to a different female waitress from before sitting in a chair. She had black hair pulled into a ponytail. "That young lady can explain it to you."

Misaki headed over to the young waitress. She wore a name badge that said Asami.

"Hello, Asami," said Misaki. "I'm officer Kirihara. May I ask you what had happened?"

"This guy I was waiting on had a problem with the bill," began Asami. "He highlighted in blue and his eyes turned red. The next thing I knew I was being thrown onto the ground by some kind of force. People started panicking and I looked back up and noticed all the bowls on his table were floating. I then looked around the restaurant to see all the bowls, plates, silverware and tables floating. He started throwing the dishes everywhere, as people tried to take cover.

"Suddenly the power went out, and then I could hear the dishes falling and crashing to the ground. Seconds later, the power came back on, and the Contractor was knocked out with his head lying in his bowl of ramen."

"The power went out?" Misaki questioned, thinking Li might be here, and he had intervened with the situation.

"Hai."

"Has your manager hired a Chinese man in the past few days?" she asked. Asami looked at her peculiarly. "He's got short hair and blue eyes."

"A Chinese man? No. What does a Chinese man have to do with this incident anyways?"

"Ah, sorry. No reason concerning this case. I've been looking for a man related to another case. He poses as a foreigner and usually works at restaurants. Last I heard he was in this area."

Misaki cursed at herself. She had been hanging around Contractors too long and now she was learning how to deceive someone.

"What did he do?" Asami asked.

"Nothing serious," replied Misaki. She noticed the door to the kitchen area. "Do you mind if I look around."

"Ah, no."

Misaki walked into the back room, hoping to find Li working amongst the chefs, but she didn't see him. She then thought that someone working here had turned off the power to distract the Contractor and knocked him out.

She left the back room and headed over to Asami to hand her a card.

"If you happened to see a man that matches that description, could you please call me?" Misaki asked. "He also tends to have a big appetite."

"Hai." The young waitress nodded, as Misaki bowed her thanks and left the restaurant.

--

Hei, wearing his blue jeans and t-shirt, washed his hands and headed out of the bathroom. He walked over to a coat rack, grabbed his leather coat, and put it on.

"Hey, Hizumi," said Asami while approaching him. "You've changed already. Going home for the day?"

Hei looked over at her. "Hai."

She started to stare at him peculiarly. Hei began to feel uneasy from her gazing at him and wondered if she found him cute.

"Nani, Asami?" he asked.

"Wow," she began. "You have some beautiful blue eyes."

"Umm, arigatou," replied Hei.

"I've never noticed before because you wear glasses. Um, where are your glasses?"

"Eh?"

"I'm afraid I broke them," said a man behind Hei.

Hei and Asami turned around to stare at him. He was a little shorter and thinner than Hei, had dyed blond hair, and wore black j-rock clothing under his black apron.

"You did, Eiji?" Asami asked.

"Not on purpose," said Eiji. "We accidentally bumped into each other during the power outage. His glasses got knocked off and I stepped on them."

"Can you see alright without them, Hizumi?" Asami questioned.

"Eh, hai, I'll be fine," replied Hei.

Hei only wore them since he believed Misaki would continue to look for him, and figured she wouldn't pursue a man wearing glasses.

"You know, you shouldn't hide those eyes behind glasses," said Asami. "Have you thought about contacts?"

"Hai, but I don't like to put things into my eyes," said Hei. "I have a hard enough time with eye drops."

"Too bad. Oh," Asami remembered what she wanted to ask him. "Since the restaurant is closed the rest of the day, a few of us are going out to a festival. Did you want to come?"

Hei looked at her and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't really like crowds," he said.

"You're wasting your time, Asami," said Eiji. "We've always asked Hizumi to go out with us, and he always turns us down."

"You never go out?" Asami stared at him with puppy eyes. "You don't intend to turn me down, do you, Hizumi?" Hei stared at her wide-eyed. "Ah, come on, it'll be fun."

Hei was about to shake his head again.

"I won't take no for an answer," stated Asami, as she placed her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips. "I'm going to drag you with Eiji's help."

Hei sighed at Asami and Eiji.

--

Kanami and Saitou headed over to Misaki's apartment together. When Saitou had visited Kanami, she had told him she had been searching for Li, and she hadn't been able to find him. She was hoping to get him to come to a surprise birthday party for Misaki wrapped up in a bow.

Saitou had frowned at the image of Li having a ribbon tied around his bare waist, and he had reminded himself to get Kanami back for it. Kanami had shrugged it off and then had suggested that a festival might cheer her up.

Saitou, presented in a black yukata, and Kanami, wearing a blue yukata with yellow flowers, walked up to Misaki's room and knocked on her door. Seconds later Misaki opened it. She was wearing gray shorts and a black tank top with her hair hanging down. Misaki gestured them in.

"What do you guys want?" she said while she was about to sit on her couch.

"Get dressed, Misaki." Kanami demanded.

Misaki stopped and looked back at her friend baffled. She then frowned and said, "I'm not going shopping."

"We're not. We're going to a festival."

Kanami grabbed Misaki by the arm and pulled her into her bedroom. She started scrounging through drawers to find something for her to wear. She then found the yukata she had worn the last time they had gone to a festival, and she forced Misaki to put it on.

"I'm not going," stated Misaki.

"Oh yes you are, or I'll tell Saitou everything about Li," bluffed Kanami.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me, Misaki. It's not good for you to mope around your place everyday all day long. Come out this one time and then I'll leave you be."

Misaki stared at her friend displeased that she would put her in a corner. She huffed out at her irritation and took the yukata.

"I'll get you for this, Kanami," promised Misaki.

"Stand in line," smiled Kanami.

--

Misaki, Kanami and Saitou walked through the festival. The booths were bunched up together on both sides of the small walkway. Chefs happily cooked and served different types of greasy foods, as clerks bowed for people to look at what they had on their shelves.

Kanami spent most of her time looking at clothing while Saitou stared at small trinkets to decorate his apartment. Misaki stood outside with her arms crossed waiting for them. Her eyes gazed on couples walking by holding hands, making Misaki wish Li was with her, and whimpered at the sight of a married couple with children.

She knew this was a bad idea to come here. Instead of her cheering up, she was even more depressed. Kanami noticed her expression, pulled her in the confined booth, and pointed at a pair of sandals that would look good on her. Misaki stared at them. They were white and had a midnight blue color strap on them, which reminded her of Li. Kanami frowned at her and showed a green pair, but that too had made her think about him.

Kanami sighed and gestured for them to continue down the walkway. She was determined to get Misaki's mind off Li.

"Let's get something to eat," Kanami suggested.

"Sounds good," replied Saitou.

"I'm not hungry," stated Misaki.

Kanami gave her friend a dirty look while Saitou stared at her worried.

"Misaki, you are going to eat something before you turn into a twig," said Kanami, as she approached a food booth.

Kanami came up behind a pudgy man who was waiting on his food. Saitou walked over to order from another person standing at the counter. When the pudgy man was done, he turned around and quickly kissed Misaki on the lips.

Misaki's eyes widened while gazing at the ugly medium height and shorthaired pudgy man. Anger built up inside her, as she bald up her right fist and uppercut his jaw. The man's feet left the ground and landed into the next booth.

Saitou looked at Misaki startled, making a mental note not to piss her off. Kanami blinked dumbfounded. Saitou noticed the person serving was holding out his food in which he took it.

The pudgy man stood smiling, but then frowned. Misaki glared at him with teeth clenched until she started to recognize him. The pudgy man turned to run away, causing her to follow in pursuit, but she lost site of him in the crowd.

"Kanami, here's some yakisoba," said Saitou, handing Kanami the food.

"Wait, no, don't eat that!" Misaki yelled out, as her friends took a bite of their food. "That was SF…"

Suddenly their faces turned beat red, and their mouths burned hotter than an oven, as sweat streamed down their foreheads.

"…542!" finished Misaki.

They both cried out, "HOT, HOTHOTHOTHOT."

Saitou and Kanami ran around in circles while holding their throats, as steam shot out from their mouth and ears. They noticed a tub full of ice and soda drinks, and stormed over to it. Saitou shoved his head into it, melting the ice instantly and evaporating it in the air, as Kanami swooped up an arm full of ice cubes and poured them into her mouth. The cubes diminished within seconds in which she scooped up more to relinquish the burning sensation.

Saitou popped his head out to get a breath of fresh air, and then plopped it back into the slush-infested tub. People watched in amazement as the booth owner came out and yelled, "What the hell! You two are going to pay me for four bags of ice!"

Misaki sighed and wondered how SF-542 had escaped custody. At least the situation had altered her mind away from Li.

--

Asami and Eiji dragged Hei throughout the festival, stopping at clothing and accessory booths. After two hours of roaming around, they headed over to a food booth.

"Hey, Hizumi, what do you want?" Asami asked.

"I'm not hungry," replied Hei.

"Ah, you really are a depressing person," said Eiji.

Asami ordered some karaage while Eiji bought a few yakisoba. Asami practically shoved the karaage in Hei's mouth. They continued along the walk path munching on their food.

Suddenly Hei stopped in his tracks as his eyes widened in shock.

"Good, isn't it?" Asami asked.

"Misaki?" mumbled Hei.

Asami and Eiji stared at Hei puzzled and then looked into the direction he was facing. Misaki was standing by a booth in her black Kimono with her hair tied up in a hana-kanzashi hairpin. His heart started to pound faster at her beauty as he watched her. Kanami and Saitou were with her, and they seemed to be extremely thirsty.

"Misaki? Who's she?" Eiji teased.

Asami stared shocked at Misaki and turned around to face Hei, as a tear fell from his eye.

"You should go say hi," Asami said to Hei.

He wanted to be with her, but the images of Daisuke and the Contractors that had attacked him ran through his head. He ignored his thoughts and started to walk over to her. Asami and Eiji followed.

Somebody started pushing and shoving people out of the way, as he screamed, "HOT! TOO HOT!! Why is it HOT!! It's not supposed to be HOT!! HOTHOTHOTHOT!!"

The man dove into a tub near Misaki, Kanami and Saitou, causing the owner to shout, "Oi, I just filled that up!"

A couple of other people also ended up taking an ice-cold bath in the tub. Hei frowned as a feeling of déjà vu plagued his mind. Suddenly an ugly man with a bleeding fat lip approached Asami and kissed her on the lips. Asami's face burned with fury, and smacked him across the face with her right hand.

The man quickly recovered from the hit, and then noticed Hei standing next to her.

"It's you," he said, as anger built up inside him.

Hei stared at him, wondering where they had met, as the pudgy man swung his fist at Hei's face in which he titled his head to the right. The man continuously went to attack him, but Hei kept on dodging the attacks.

The pudgy man became frustrated and grabbed Asami to point his finger on her head like a gun. Fear began to show through her eyes.

"Hey, man, let her go," screamed out Eiji.

"I'm going to pay you back for what you did to me," the pudgy man said to Hei.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Hei asked, still unable to put a finger on whom he was.

The pudgy man's face burned with anger.

"You don't remember sabotaging my food?" he said angrily. "I didn't get that job because of you."

Hei looked at him for a minute before he remembered.

"If I'm not mistaking, you spiced up my ramen first," pointed out Hei. "And you wouldn't have won, your cooking was awful. I had indigestion for a whole month."

The pudgy man glared at Hei angrily from his comment, but then devilishly smiled at him.

"Have you heard of Contractors?" he asked. "Well, you're about to see one, and you're going to watch this beautiful little girl die."

Hei glared at him angrily, as the pudgy man highlighted in blue, but before he could use his powers, Hei moved behind him, and knocked him out on the back of the neck.

Asami looked back up at Hei astounded.

"That was awesome, Hizumi," said Eiji.

Hei looked back for Misaki and noticed she was gone. He decided to run in that direction.

"Hizumi, wait!" yelled Asami.

She ran after Hizumi but lost sight of him around the corner.

She then remembered Hizumi's reaction concerning that woman. She also recognized that she was the police officer that had asked her questions at the restaurant. She pulled out the card and looked to see the name on it read Officer Kirihara Misaki. The police officer seemed to give off the same depressing aura like Hizumi. Hizumi had mumbled Misaki to himself in which stated he knew her. Asami then realized that Hizumi had blue eyes and short black hair like the man she was looking for. However, Hizumi isn't a Chinese name, and he doesn't have much of an appetite. She wondered if she should call her.

Eiji came up to her.

"Come on, Asami, your starting to act like Hizumi," said Eiji. "Let's go enjoy the festival."

Asami waved off the thought and did what Eiji suggested. As they walked off, the people taking an ice bath stood from the water-filled tub relieved with the owner burning furiously.

--

Hei returned to his apartment to have Yin greet him at the door.

"Are you all right?" she asked, as he went to go lay on his futon.

Yin obviously watched him at the festival and new he saw Misaki. He didn't answer her question while staring at the ceiling.

"You should have said hello," said Yin.

Hei remembered how beautiful she looked. He wanted to say hi to her, but he had lost her in the crowd. It was better this way anyway. The group that had attacked him the other day worked for the Syndicate. Hei was lucky they didn't kill her.

Hei felt another tear escape and run down his cheek.

"I can't," he said.

Suddenly his tears ran down his cheeks like waterfalls. Yin kneeled before Hei and hugged him to help ease his pain.

--

To be continued...

--

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you thought.

If your looking for more to read, I posted a one shot story a couple of weeks ago called 'The Lushes Kiss.' It's a Hei/Misaki story. Check it out if you haven't read it yet. :)


	15. The Ghost of BK201

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Fifteen: The Ghost of BK-201

--

A week later

Hei, wearing a tuxedo, stood in the middle of guests at a party serving them, as he wondered how he was always mixed up in this stuff. He was grateful he decided to wear his glasses, but he wished he had brought a wig.

His mind drifted off to remember his manager visiting him at his apartment a couple of days ago.

"_Hizumi," began his manager. "I need you for a special project."_

"_What is it, sir?" Hei asked._

"_I need you to cater a party."_

"Cater a party?" questioned Hei. "I didn't know we did cater…"

"_No, I usually don't, but I had someone call and ask me if we could. I need the extra work and money to repair the damages that __that __Contractor had done to my restaurant since my insurance doesn't cover it. You're my best cook, and I know you can cook more than ramen and fried rice. So what do you say?"_

"_Where's the party at?"_

"_It's a banquet hall in Shibuya. That's all I know."_

"_Shi—Shibuya?"_

"_Yeah, is that a problem?"_

"_Eh, no, I'll do it."_

"_You just need to cook the food ahead of time, and then serve it to the guests. Asami, Eiji and a few others will be there to help. Oh__, and y__ou'll need to rent a tux."_

Hei sighed at the memory. It had been a problem since the party was near the Police Station. To his dissatisfaction, it was for a Police banquet and most of the Foreign Affairs were present. If he had known that he would have told his boss he had already made plans for the day.

Saitou started to approach him, which caused him to hold his tray in front of his face, hide in the crowd, and turned his back. Unfortunately Ootsuka was nearby, and to his luck, she would probably spot his collarbone and stalk him. He moved away, as Kouno went to grab some food, and accidentally grabbed Ootsuka's breast. Kouno stared flabbergasted while Ootsuka's right eyelid twitched, and then she slapped him across the face.

Hei was in a tight pinch and hoped Misaki's friend, Kanami, wasn't present as well.

"What are you doing?" someone behind Hei asked, causing him to jump. He turned around to see Asami looking at him perplexed. "Come on, Hizumi. The boss said that you had waiter experience. You look more like an amateur."

Hei looked at her baffled, causing Asumi to role her eyes.

"You look like your hiding from someone," she pointed out. "You need to stand up straight, smile, and ask the guest if they would like to try one."

"Eh, hai," replied Hei, as he smiled.

"That's more like it," said Asami. "I'll be back. I have to get more drinks."

Someone walked up to take some food from the tray.

"Um, good," a female mumbled.

"Ah Ariga…," Hei began to say, but he choked on his words, as he noticed Kanami.

He froze stiff, but then realized she was staring at the crowd instead of him, as if she were looking for someone and seemed a little upset. He praised himself for wearing his glasses and slowly turned his back to her, hoping she wouldn't notice him.

Hei got the funny feeling that somehow Misaki's father had something to do with this. Her father had somehow found where he was working at, and he had asked for his help with a job for the Foreign Affairs. In exchange, he would keep the Syndicate off his tail. He wasn't demanding work from him, nor trying to black mail him. Misaki's father had given him a cell phone, and he told Hei not to fry it so he could call him with information. It was up to Hei whether he would take the job, and if he did, Naoyasu would pay him for it. Hei didn't want to be mixed up with any of that anymore and told him he would think about it. Hei was happy he had not told Misaki where he was hiding, but he figured it was because Naoyasu didn't want him around her.

Speaking of the devil, Hei watched Misaki's father approach him.

"Have you seen Misaki, Hei," he whispered to him.

"No, sir," replied Hei. "Why did you ask my work to cater for your party?"

"I just wanted the best cook out there," replied Naoyasu while smiling and grabbing some food.

Hei looked at him unconvinced and said, "This is your way to get me out to do a job for you, isn't it?"

"I think there is a Contractor here that plans to kill someone tonight."

"So why don't you just keep the police on alert."

"They'll want to know where I got the information."

"Why me, sir?"

Naoyasu's body drooped, as his eyes slightly narrowed while keeping them locked on Hei's eyes. Hei could see a bitter and worried expression embedding from him.

"I think their target is Misaki," he said.

Hei looked at Naoyasu flabbergasted.

"The Syndicate?" questioned Hei.

"Hai," replied Naoyasu.

"Why?"

"Her involvement with the arrest of Hourai, and all their Contractors she had taken down since then."

"You can't stop them?"

"I'm not in any position to stop them," he replied. "That's why I arranged you to cater the party."

"But, they'll recognize me, not to mention Saitou and Kanami are here."

"I told you, Hei. Your team was my project. No one higher than me knows who you are. And the police who do work for the Syndicate don't know you, or they had conveniently lost their memory. Saitou knows you, but you're doing a great job of dodging him. And you shouldn't have to worry about Kanami; she already knows who you are."

Hei sighed. He hoped his stomach wouldn't growl. If it did then everybody would know of his presence. He started to eat the rest of the food on the tray, praying the petty appetizer would be enough to keep his hunger at bay.

--

Kanami walked into a separate lounge where Misaki was sitting in a chair alone in her business suit.

"Misaki, what are you doing?" Kanami asked. "Saitou's about ready to give his speech."

"I'll be right out," replied Misaki.

"Not dressed in that, you aren't. Where's your dress we spent the time picking out together?"

"You picked it out, Kanami, and I can't wear that," whined Misaki, as she blushed.

"Oh, yes you are."

"No I'm not."

Kanami looked at her friend frustrated and then thought of tricking her.

"I saw Li-kun out there in a tux," she lied.

It was the only way she could get her friend to be a woman tonight instead of a hardcore police officer. Misaki was a beautiful woman, but she always hid her features from embarrassment.

Misaki's eyes widened, as she said, "Li's here? Why?"

"I have no idea," shrugged Kanami. "But never mind that, I guarantee if you wear that dress, there would be no way he could resist coming up to you to ask for a dance."

Misaki looked at her friend baffled, but then narrowed her eyes at her.

"That's a dirty trick, Kanami," she stated. "How would Li even know about the party? And I'm sure he wouldn't risk exposing himself."

"How do you know I'm not lying, you haven't even been out there enjoying the party."

Misaki watched as Kanami turned around to leave the room. She didn't know who was more deceiving, her friend or Li.

"Well, do what you want. Just don't miss Saitou's speech," said Kanami, as she closed the door.

Misaki sighed at her friend. She wasn't going to fall for it. There was no way Li would be out there.

--

Saitou walked out onto the stage and grabbed the mike. He tapped it with his index finger while smiling, causing the speakers to make a thud sound and a high pitch shriek. Everybody put their fingers into their ears from the ear piercing noise. He cringed from his uncanny performance.

"Eh, sorry," he said into the mike. He cleared his throat to extinguish the embarrassment. "Ladies and gentlemen. I'm happy to see you all are enjoying the party. I would like to first thank the caterers for their wonderful food this evening. I forgot how much I ate because it was so good. Second: to the band for their lovely music. If I was with a date, I'd be dancing all night."

"No you wouldn't, Saitou," spoke up Kouno. "You'd be stuffing the food down your throat still."

Everybody chuckled at the comment. Saitou narrowed his eyes at his colleague for ruining his speech.

"However," he continued on, as he stared out at the crowd, "we gathered here for a special occasion. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you our new Captain for the Foreign Affairs division." Saitou paused. "Captain Kirihara Misaki."

Hei looked up towards the stage shocked, as he watched Misaki step onto it. He gazed at her bedazzled by her beauty, as his heart started beating twenty times faster than usual. She was wearing a tight black thin-strapped evening gown that showed a little cleavage. It draped past her knees with a slit up along her thigh. Her hair hung down, as it shined from the room's lights. However, his attention mostly focused on her eyes. They weren't hidden behind her oval glasses, which made them sparkle and bewitch his wellbeing. He could tell she was a little embarrassed by the dress since she wanted to cover her top up with her hand. Hei figured Kanami must have picked it out for her, but how did she get her to wear it?

She smiled at Saitou while bowing slightly, preventing any more cleavage to be exposed, and then took the mike.

"Thank you, Saitou," said Misaki to him. She put her left hand over her mouth to smother her nerves away and cleared her throat. "Thank you everybody for coming. Thanks, Father, for putting this together."

"What about me, Misaki?" Kanami asked. "Don't forget to thank me for the dress!"

Misaki frowned and said, "You know I do."

Kanami smiled while raising her glass of champagne to her.

"Anyways," continued Misaki, "I promise to do my best as captain of the Foreign Affairs. Even though I'll be behind a desk most of the time, I will continue to bring in Contractors and humans that intend to cause others harm."

Misaki bowed while holding her hand over her chest as everybody clapped from her speech. Saitou escorted her off the stage, as the band began to play again. Some of the guest started to dance. Saitou gestured for Misaki to follow him onto the dance floor, which she did, and began dancing with her.

Jealously overflowed through Hei, as he remembered Saitou had feelings for her. He wanted to interrupt the two, or better yet, electrocute Saitou, and then take Misaki into his own arms and kiss her.

Naoyasu watched Hei while smiling, and stepped over to him to say, "You should stop torturing yourself and go see the lady."

He walked off into the crowd to talk with someone. It took all of Hei's might to prevent himself from going over there, but he couldn't hold it off any longer, and found his feet were inching to head over to Misaki and Saitou.

Hei only took two steps when Asami came up to him.

"That's more like it, Hizumi," she said to him. "That's the kind of smile I want to see, and you got rid of all the food, good job."

Hei ignored her comment, as he handed his tray over to her, and took off his glasses to set them on the tray. He started walking over to Misaki.

"Wait, Hizumi what are…?" she started to say, but looked to where Hei was staring, and saw Misaki. She smiled and let Hei be.

Hei took only two steps when soldiers dressed in black with guns stormed into the room. They made their way to the center of it, pushing guest aside, and then started shooting at the ceiling to have drywall and insulation flutter downwards. Standing in the middle was a tall man dressed in a gray suit.

"What the?" Asami asked startled.

Some of the guest went to reach for their guns, but remembered they had to turn them in at the front or left them at home. Some of the cops who were to act as security pulled out their guns, but the men in black grabbed hostages and pointed their guns at their heads, causing the guest to scream.

"Drop your weapons," yelled one of the soldiers.

The cops didn't listen as one of the men with the machine guns started to fire at the ceiling again, forcing the cops to drop their guns. Suddenly a piece of dry wall fell on top of one of the men.

"Oi, didn't I tell you idiots to do that only once!" shouted the man in the suit.

They looked at him startled, and then aimed their guns at the crowd. Hei grabbed Asami and stood a table on its side to shield them. Everybody else continued to scream while trying to take cover, as gunfire rang through out the hall.

The tall man's eyes turned red, as his body outlined in blue, and stared at Misaki. Misaki stood still as everyone ran around. She seemed too shocked to move.

"Stay here, Asami," said Hei, as he took off his suit jacket.

"Hizumi, where are you going?" Asami asked. "I know you knocked out the one guy quickly at the festival, but these guys have guns. They'll kill you."

Hei ignored her again.

"Hizumi!"

Hei went into the back room to knock out the power.

"What the…?" shouted one of the gunmen. "Oi, Barkly, go check on the power."

"Okay!" said another gunman in English.

"Don't any of you coppers make a move on us! We have ears like hawks."

The man named Barkly trotted towards the back room. Hei hid next to the entrance, and as the gunman entered, he wrapped his arm around his neck, and squeezed it to put his opponent to sleep.

Hei pulled out his black trench coat from his pocket and threw it on. He reentered the dining hall, crept up to the gunmen, and quietly knocked them out. Hei went for the Contractor, but he wasn't there.

He headed back into the backroom to turn the lights back on.

"What the hell?" Saitou questioned. "They're all knocked out? How'd that happen?"

"Dunno?" said Kouno, as the guest who were being held hostage looked around flabbergasted at the soldiers lying awkward on the ground. "So much for them having ears like hawks."

"Oi, where's the Chie…Captain?"

Hei peeked around the doorway to see some of the guests were still panicking. The Contractor was nowhere in site and neither was Misaki. He cursed for failing Naoyasu. He also wondered why Misaki had hesitated. She was the type who wouldn't bend under pressure, but for some reason she froze.

Yin's spectre appeared in a guest's wine glass, and then in someone else's glass, as if guiding him. He pulled out his mask from under his shirt, put it on, and followed her lead out of the room. The guests' attention shifted towards him, freaking them out, and causing Saitou and Kouno to stare in fright as white as a ghost.

"Holy…!" they shouted.

He ran towards the kitchen door, opened it as Eiji was exiting with a tray of drinks, and threw them up while screaming half his life away. The items crashed to the floor, as Hei ran past him.

He continued down the hall, as Yin led him toward a set of emergency stairs, and ran up them.

--

As the intruders stormed the party, Misaki went for her gun in her purse, but she remembered she had to hand it over to security. She cursed, as she watched the Contractor highlight in blue, and his eyes turned red. She stared into his eyes, and the next thing she knew she couldn't move her body.

Suddenly her body began to move on its own, guiding her towards a door, as the lights went out. She hoped Li was behind it. A gunman ordered one of his men to check out things, but before she could find out what had happened, her body exited the dining hall. She started heading down a hall and ascended some stairs. A second pair of footsteps echoed off the walls. As she turned to walk up the next stairs, the corner of her eyes caught a glimpse of the Contractor behind her.

No doubt he was some kind of puppeteer. She started to fear for her life, hoped that someone, Saitou, Kouno or Li, if he was at her party, might have seen her leave against her will.

The Contractor made her exit a door and step onto the roof. She stopped in front of the ledge, and then her puppet master began twitching his wrist to make her stand on top of it. Misaki tried to fight against it, but her right leg rose on its own, followed by her left. Her body began to waver, but the Contractor made her catch her balance.

He hopped onto the ledge and gazed out the city to say, "What a spectacular view, don't you think, _Captain _Kirihara Misaki? Oh, I'm sorry, you can't speak."

Misaki wanted to ask why he was doing such a thing.

"You want to know why?" the Contractor asked.

Misaki was shocked that he knew what she was thinking.

"Don't be so shocked. My body is in synced with yours. I can control it, and I know your thoughts. Too bad Saitou, Kouno or this Li person won't come and save you. When they do, your own body will be flat like a pancake."

Misaki felt her right foot move off the ledge.

"You've caused too much trouble. You need to disappear," he said.

--

Asami watched Hizumi run off and started to fear for his life. She then noticed Misaki walking casually out of the banquet hall in some kind of trance, which made her head in that direction. Seconds later, the power went out.

"What the…?" shouted one of the gunmen. "Oi, Barkly, go check on the power."

"Okay!" said another gunman in English.

"Don't any of you coppers make a move on us. We have ears like hawks."

Asami took cover incase the gunmen decided to get a little trigger-happy. Within minutes she heard huffs and oofs. Seconds later the power came back on, and she noticed all the gunmen were knocked out. Asami had this feeling of déjà vu. It was like back at the restaurant and she wondered if Hizumi had something to do with it.

"What the hell?" a big bulky man questioned. "They're all knocked out? How'd that happen?"

"Dunno?" said the brown-haired man. "So much for them having ears like hawks."

"Oi, where's the Chie-Captain?"

Asami remembered about her, and ran out into a hall where Misaki had gone. She noticed stairs ahead and ran to them. As she passed by the door to the kitchen, she slipped and fell on some wine that was spilt.

Eiji came out moments later.

"Asami, are you all right?" he asked, as he helped her up.

"Ah, hai."

"I'm sorry; I got scared by something and dropped the wine."

"Something?"

Seconds later the big bulky man and the brown-haired man carrying machine guns came out from the banquet hall and walked over to them. Asami jumped from being startled while raising her arms up, but she lowered them as she recognized them as police officers.

"Excuse me," the big man asked, "Have you seen a lady in a black dress with brown hair walk by here?"

"I saw her walk out that door," said Asami while pointing at the door. "She seemed to be in a trance."

"I saw a man dressed in a black trench coat and wearing a mask run down this hall and up those stairs," said Eiji. "He may be after that woman."

The men looked at each other shocked, as Asami looked at Eiji frightened.

"A masked man?" questioned the big man. He looked over at his partner. "I knew we weren't imagining it, Kouno. He's returned as a gh—ghost!"

"It can't be, Saitou," replied the light haired man, as he shook his head. "It has to be another copycat."

Even though he had said it, he didn't believe his own words.

"But how do you explain the power outage and all those knocked out guards?" Saitou questioned.

"Y—you do have a point. But the question is; why has he returned?"

Eiji and Asami looked at them dumbfounded, as sweat poured down their cheeks.

"Are you two all right?" Asami asked.

"Um, ah, hai," replied Saitou straightening up his composure. "Come on, Kouno, I'm sure it's just another imposter. We have to save the Chie…eh, Captain."

They both ran towards the stairs. Asami was about to follow them, but Eiji held her back.

"Let me go, Eiji. We have to help that woman," she said.

"They're police, Asami. They'll help her out. Plus, I saw the man who was chasing her, and trust me; you don't want to get in his way."

Asami looked at him frustrated. She then started to wonder what happened to Hizumi and hoped he could save Misaki from that masked man Eiji had mentioned.

--

Misaki's right leg hung over the road below. Her eyes took in the sight of pedestrians and vehicles moving by like ants, as she wondered if she would land on top of a car's roof, or the concrete. Her body began to lean forward, causing her heart to race, and then her left foot slipped from the ledge. Misaki's body tensed, as the Contractor released his hold on her. The wind whipped at her hair, as she tumbled over ended.

Fear overwhelmed her, she felt her heart pounding heavily against her chest, and closed her eyes. She tried to hold back her scream. It was said someone falling usually dies from it caused by a heart attack. Misaki wanted to wait until the last moment before the sudden stop.

Seconds began to pass as minutes, as her descending sped up. Her anxiety came to a boiling point and she uncontrollably yelled out, "LLLIII!!"

With no response Misaki felt her life ending and started to scream. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst, which would do her a favor, and prayed it would happen before she hit something. Her heart pumped what felt like a dozen beats per second, making her think she was about to have a heart attack.

Suddenly Misaki felt an arm wrap around her waist, pull her against a muscular body, and tugged her body rightwards. She opened her eyes, realizing she was a few meters from the ground, and swung up towards the roof she had fallen off. Misaki looked at her savor to see Li holding her. She wrapped her arms around his neck to cling to him.

He had come to her rescue and saved her life again.

They landed on top of the roof and stared at the shocked Contractor. He narrowed his eyes at Li while grinding his teeth.

"BK-201," said the Contractor. Suddenly he smiled. "No he's dead, you're just a copycat, aren't you?"

The Contractor highlighted in blue.

"Don't look into his eyes," screamed Misaki to Li. "He can control your body."

The Contractor's eyes turned red, as Li gazed down at his feet, and charged at him. He grabbed the Contractor's arm and sent a volt of electricity through his body, causing him to shake viciously while screaming. Misaki stared at him, pitying his cry of pain. After her experience of falling, she would have welcomed death by electrocution.

Li extinguished his ability. The Contractor stumbled forward and muttered disbelievingly, "B…K…20…1…"

His eyes rolled up into his sockets and fell forward dead.

Li took off his mask to stuff it in his coat and embraced Misaki.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Hai, just a little shaking up," she replied. "What are you doing here?"

Li looked at her, ignoring her question, and smiled as he said, "You look beautiful today."

Li kissed her. Misaki was embarrassed to wear the dress in front of everybody, but after Li's comment she felt beautiful.

Suddenly Misaki could feel Li began to move their bodies. He started to hum a tune as Misaki recognized it as the song that was playing when she had walked off stage. She leaned her head on his chest as he continued to lead. It felt great to be back in his arms, as the world around them seemed to stop for hours in the brief time he held her.

"Congratulations, Captain," smiled Li.

"Ah, arigatou."

"You don't seem too excited about the promotion?"

"I'm not so sure I deserve it. I haven't been completely honest with my job."

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm supposed to arrest BK-201, but I've falling in love with him."

"BK-201?"

"Hai."

"I thought he was dead, Misaki?"

Misaki looked up at Li baffled, but then she kissed him.

Suddenly they heard the door open, as Li quickly parted from Misaki's lips, turned her to have her face out at the city with one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other around her neck to make it look like he was attacking her.

"Put your hands up over your head, and back away from the lady," Misaki could hear Saitou say behind Li.

"I guess we'll have to continue this later," Li whispered into her ear, and kissed her on the neck.

Li pulled out his mask from his coat.

"Did you hear me, you imposter," continued Saitou, as Kouno entered with his machine gun aimed at Li. "I will shoot."

Li put on his mask, slowly put his hands up, and backed away from Misaki.

Saitou kept his gun aimed at Li's back as he slowly went to approach him, but as soon as Saitou was in reach, Li turned and roundhouse kicked the gun out of his hands, and took his wire to wrap it around an electric pole to fly away. Kouno fired at him, believing he hit him, as Li disappeared over the ledge.

Saitou and Kouno went over to it, looked down to hopefully see a dead imposter below, but they saw nothing. They looked at each other flabbergasted.

"He is a ghost!" they both said together trembling.

They looked over at Misaki.

"Chie…eh…Captain, are you all right?" Saitou asked.

"Hai," she said.

"Thank god we got here when we did," stated Kouno. "The Black Reaper could have killed you."

"Hai, thank you, guys."

"Was that really BK-201?" Saitou asked, still shaking in fear.

"Stop being babies. I saw the man use a stun gun on that Contractor. BK-201 is as dead as your careers will be if you keep those rumors up."

She was upset since they had ruined her moment to be with Li again.

Misaki began to shiver, wishing Li was still holding her against his warm body. Actually, she wished Li had swung off with her to take her to some other place where they could be alone.

Suddenly Misaki felt something warm around her shoulders. She looked at it and noticed Saitou had put his jacket around her.

"Arigatou, Saitou," she smiled.

Kouno went to check on the body and felt no pulse.

"A stun gun?" he questioned trembling. "Can a stun gun kill someone?"

Saitou looked over at Kouno flabbergasted and started quivering in fear again. "G…Gho…GHOST!"

Misaki sighed at them.

--

Hei quietly reentered the building, hid his coat in his pocket, and began cleaning up. Saitou and Kouno guided Misaki through the hallway to escort her out of the party. He quickly bent over and pretended to tie his shoe to hide his face from them as they passed by.

Misaki stopped and mumbled, "Li?"

She turned around and looked at where he was tying his shoe, but he was gone.

"Li-kun?" questioned Saitou, as he turned around, and saw no one. "Come on, Captain. You said he's in China. Let's get going."

"Ah, hai." Misaki agreed and turned around to head for the front door.

"I'll go get my car and bring it around. You two stay here," said Saitou.

Misaki looked back down the hallway, hoping to see Hei mixed in the crowd somewhere, but she didn't see him.

"There you are, Hizumi," said Asami, as she approached Hei standing in one of the doorways watching Misaki. "I've been looking all over for you."

Misaki's eyes glanced in his direction while he backed up behind the door.

"What are you doing?" Asami questioned him.

His eyes shifted towards another door where Misaki's father stood by gesturing with his head he wanted to talk to him. Misaki was looking out the window for Saitou, allowing him to head over to Naoyasu.

"Hizumi, are you listening to me," continued Asami, as she followed him.

"Thank you, Hei," said Naoyasu, as he approached him.

Hei smiled.

"Ah, you're welcome, Officer Kirihara. It's the least our company could do for your special occasion," said Asami.

"It's not over yet, though," stated Naoyasu.

"No, Hizumi has to help me and Eiji clean up," pointed out Asami.

Hei looked over at him worried. Naoyasu held out his hand and handed him an earpiece.

"Yin is already following them," he said.

"What is that?" Asami asked.

Hei's attention shifted back to Misaki. He saw Kanami walk up to her with their coats and exited the building with Kouno. He followed them.

"Hizumi, where are you going?" Asami began to yell. "We need to clean…"

Hei ignored her as he ran out the front door.

"Hizumi!" Asami screamed while following him.

She lost site of him, but noticed Misaki and her partners getting into a car. She knew Hizumi had something to do with saving her, but what was their connection?

--

Saitou insisted he should drive Misaki home since he feared someone would still try to assassinate her. Kanami and Kouno decided to stay with her. They entered Saitou's car and drove through the night-covered city towards Misaki's apartment.

Suddenly a man jumped on Saitou's hood startling everyone. He was wearing a black trench coat and wore a white mask with a purple lightning bolt. Misaki stared flabbergasted noticing he looked similar to Li.

"BK-201?" questioned Saitou.

He slammed on the brakes, hoping to fling the man off his car, as cars behind him screeched to a halt before hitting them. Unfortunately his trick didn't work, which Saitou decided to slam on the gas, and started swerving back and forth to knock him off. However, it seemed as if his boots were glued to his hood.

Saitou continued to swerve around other cars as BK-201 highlighted in blue and sent an electrical current through the car. The car stalled as Misaki stared dumbfounded and wondered if it was really Li under the mask, and she pondered on why he would attack them. Maybe he was trying to prevent her from returning to her home where someone might have a bomb planted, or someone was waiting to kill her.

BK-201 pulled out a blade, and smashed its hilt against the front windshield to shatter it. Everyone raised their arms up over their faces to shield themselves from the broken glass.

Saitou continued to swerve around hoping to knock the Reaper off, as the car slowly descended in speed. BK-201's right hand grabbed Saitou's shirt, he highlighted in blue, and started to pull him out. Misaki believed he was about to electrocute him. Kouno aimed his gun at the masked man, but as he was about to fire, a black shadow swung by while snatching up BK-201 to fly off.

Saitou slammed on the brakes as everyone stared flabbergasted and confused at what had happened. He and Kouno stepped from the car, gesturing for Misaki to stay in it, and began scanning the areas. After a minute of looking around, Saitou and Kouno lowered their guns, believing the threat was over.

Suddenly BK-201 dropped onto his back on top of the vehicle's hood with his blade sticking out of his bleeding chest. Saitou and Kouno turned around while aiming their guns at him. Noticing he was dead, they pointed their guns upwards to see only the fake stars.

"Didn't that shadow resemble BK-201?" Saitou mumbled to Kouno.

"Ah," Kouno replied as he holstered his weapon. "How can there be two of them?"

Misaki exited the car along with Kanami, her heart beating heavily. She walked over to the body that had the same build and hair as Li, and threw the mask off. She breathed out a sigh of relief to see it wasn't Li, but amazed that the Syndicate had another Contractor who looked like Li and used electricity.

"Something the matter, Captain?" Saitou asked turning his head toward her and still pointing his gun upward.

"No, just wondering who the imposter was," said Misaki.

"Imposter?" he replied as he lowered his weapon. "It has to be BK-201. He used electricity."

"BK-201's star is gone. He's dead. Don't make me repeat myself again. Besides, there are a handful of Contractors that share the same ability."

"But his hair and…"

"Saitou, enough!"

"Ah, hai, Captain," said Saitou at attention. "Do you know who he is?"

"No."

"Really?'

"Hai, why?"

"Well, you looked pleased about seeing his face."

Misaki turned her attention to him, but averted her eyes, as she said, "No, just grateful we got out of this pinch."

Misaki's attention shifted back to the Contractor. She was upset Li had killed him so she couldn't interrogate him. She went searching through the Contractor's pockets and pulled out a stun gun, surprising her. Saitou let out a sigh of relief and holstered his gun.

"The Contractor used the stun gun to make it look like he was using electricity, but how did he stop the car?" asked Saitou.

"Who cares about him, Saitou," said Kouno. "Who or what was that that flung down out of nowhere and grabbed him?"

Saitou looked at the body lying on his car. Unexpectedly he quivered in fear.

"H—Holy…," stuttered Saitou.

Misaki and Kouno looked over at Saitou to see him staring at the car shaking. They turned their attention to the car and saw a shadow of BK-201 hovering over it.

Kouno and Saitou aimed their guns upward while scanning the area. Saitou spotted something at the corner of his eye and quickly looked over to see a man in a black trench coat and white mask with a purple lightning bolt staring down at them from a brick ledge. He jumped off behind the ledge.

They took off after him but as they rounded the ledge he was gone. They walked back over to the car with Saitou quivering in fear, as he noticed the shadow still there, but then vanished seconds later.

Kouno looked at him scared, as he muttered, "B—BK…201? Saitou, please tell me ghost aren't real."

"They aren't real," Saitou replied shaking.

Suddenly there was a loud banging noise causing Kouno to jump into Saitou's arms. They both held each other shaking in fear.

"Boo!" said Kanami as they both jumped again and then realized Kanami had slammed her hands on a trash can lid to make the loud noise. They looked at her upset as Kanami and Misaki laughed at their performance.

--

Misaki dialed her headquarters number and asked the person who answered it to send backup and a tow truck to their location. Kanami called her lab and asked about Contractor activity. They told her that EB-012 was active in that area and that his ability is to control electronic devices. She relayed the message to Misaki, which explained to her how he was able to stop the car.

After the clean up, Misaki, Kanami, Saitou and Kouno took the JR line to Misaki's apartment.

Misaki and Kanami entered Misaki's bedroom while the men stood guard in the living room. Misaki was still having difficulty sleeping in her room, but she forced herself to overcome her bitterness so that Saitou and Kouno wouldn't worry or wonder what upset her.

Kanami stepped over to the window to close the blinds.

"No, keep them open, please," pleaded Misaki, as a five-year-old begging for the light to be left on.

Kanami looked at her baffled.

"I know Li's out there somewhere," said Misaki.

Kanami smiled at her.

"I know, but you need to shower and change," she replied. "I'll open them back up once you're done."

Misaki nodded her head in agreement. She went into her bathroom, showered, and came back into her bedroom moments later wearing her gray sweat shorts and black tank top.

"What are you wearing?" Kanami asked.

"My night clothes," replied Misaki.

"Night clothes? You look like a school girl at a slumber party."

Misaki blinked at her puzzled.

"You are so helpless," said Kanami. She walked over to her dresser and started scrounging through it. "Oh, what the hell, Misaki? Don't you have anything sexy in here?" Seconds later Kanami pulled out something and stared at it. "Well, I guess this will have to do. Here, put this on."

She threw something to her. Misaki notice Kanami had picked out a tight white tank top. She usually used it to work out in at home with a workout bra underneath.

Misaki looked up at her friend and said, "What about a bottom part?"

"That's what panties are for," Kanami smirked.

"What, but I can't go to bed like that," whimpered Misaki. "It's too…"

"Misaki," Kanami cut her off, "You're the one that said Li is out there looking after you. He wouldn't be able to resist coming here with you only wearing a tight shirt and panties."

Misaki looked at Kanami shocked and then looked down at the clothes. She sighed. Why did Kanami always have to worry about how she looked, especially when it came to Li?

She stepped from her bed while removing her regular nightclothes, figuring she should perhaps only sleep in her blue-laced undergarments, and put on the top Kanami had suggest. Kanami smiled at her and opened the blinds.

"Wait until I get under the covers, Kanami," said Misaki, as she tried staying clear of the window.

"Is that Li-kun across the street?" Kanami questioned.

Misaki ran over to the window excited and looked down toward the ground, but didn't see anyone. She looked at her friend upset.

"Kanami!" she growled.

"I'm just making sure he gets a good view."

Misaki bit her bottom lip from embarrassment while blushing. What Kanami didn't get was that Li loved her for her personality, not her looks. She stared out the window again, wondering where Li was. She imagined him swooping through her window and holding her in his arms.

She turned around and walked over to her bed. Misaki stared down it, remembering the night Li and she had made love. She placed her hand on the side he had slept on, and closed her eyes to run her fingers along the sheets, as if she could feel him lying there. A sensation ran up her spine, as though Li had run his index finger along it.

Misaki slowly crawled into bed, feeling secure, and lay under her covers. Maybe it was because she knew Li was close by. She wished he were here beside her instead of Saitou and Kouno in her living room.

"I'll be in the other room. Saitou is going to stay here with us," said Kanami. "And don't worry; I assure you, another pair of _eyes are _watching you. Get some rest; I'll see you in the morning."

Kanami exited her room while closing the door behind her.

--

Hei followed Misaki and the others to her home. He was upset. He planned to interrogate the Contractor to find out who was trying to kill her. However, when he snatched him, he threw him on the ground and his body fell on the blade he was holding. Hei killed the puppeteer Contractor earlier out of anger, but wished he hadn't. He wished Naoyasu had told him earlier that there would be others after Misaki's life.

Hei entered an abandoned apartment across the street along with Yin, ascended a few flights, and sat on a windowsill to keep an eye on Misaki's apartment. He felt like a stalker, but if anything happened to her, he couldn't live with himself.

Hei looked over at her apartment to see the blinds were closed. She should know he's watching her so why would she close the blinds. How was he supposed to keep an eye on her? Was she being attacked yet?

"Yin, is Misaki still alright?" Hei asked.

"Hai," Yin replied. "She's in the shower."

Hei's eyes lit up and remembered the time he spent in there with her and wished he was enjoying the shower with her.

"Are you going to go and shower with her?" Yin asked.

Hei looked over at her dumbfounded.

"No," he simply replied and looked back over at Misaki's apartment.

"Can I?" said Yin. Hei's eyes widened, as his cheeks burned red. "I want to learn."

"I—It's not…appropriate, Yin."

"Then why did you do it?"

Hei opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words to say. Trying to talk to her was like trying to tell a five-year-old to keep his or her hands out of the cookie jar. Hei frowned and turned his head back to watch Misaki's apartment.

Moments later, Hei noticed Misaki's bedroom blinds were opening and saw Kanami standing by the window. He wondered where Misaki was. Seconds later he saw her approach her window dressed in only a white lacy tank top that fit snug against her body and was slightly see through, and blue-laced underwear. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped and his heart started beating rapidly. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She had never worn anything like that when he stayed with her. It took all his strength not to fling his wire to a pole, swing over onto her balcony, and kiss her exposed skin. If he hadn't made love to her that previous night, his nose might have started gushing blood.

Hei shook away the thoughts he was having. This was no time to get distracted by her beauty, even though it might be his only chance to see her dressed in such attire.

He watched her fiddle her fingers along the sheets, probably reminiscing about their night together, and then crawl into bed to fall asleep minutes later.

An hour later Kanami had falling asleep while Saitou watched television. He giggled slightly at something, and then put one of Misaki's couch pillows in his mouth as he laughed. Hei shook his head.

Sixty minutes passed when Saitou needed to use the toilet. Hei noticed another man dressed up as the Black Reaper recoiling himself slowly and awkwardly from the roof, as though he had never done such an act before, and landed on his bottom on Misaki's balcony.

"Stay here, Yin."

Hei opened the balcony window, flung his wire onto an electric pole, and swung over to her balcony, startling the man in black. The imposter punched at him, but Hei grabbed his wrist and spun him around into an arm lock.

"Who sent you?" demanded Hei.

"I don't know," the man replied.

Hei pulled out one of his knives and held it up to the man's throat.

"Who sent you?"

The man still didn't respond. Hei then heard Misaki's bathroom door open.

Hei sent a brief electrical shock into the man who shook and fell unconscious. Hei took out some wire, wrapped it around the man, and hung him over the balcony.

Hei noticed Saitou approaching the balcony pointing his gun. Hei pressed his body against the wall, as Saitou opened the door.

"That's funny, I thought I heard voices," Saitou said to himself.

He stared out at the city, but then noticed Hei's wire tied to the rail. Saitou peeked over it, causing his eyes to light up as bright as the city lights.

"Nani?" he shouted.

Hei crept up behind him and sent a brief shock into Saitou to knock him unconscious. He dragged him back into the room and laid him down on the floor where he was sitting earlier.

"You'll probably have a headache when you awake," said Hei. "But until then, think of large-breasted woman." (1)

Hei walked up to the balcony to leave, but his mind swirled with the image of what Misaki was wearing. His brain was screaming at him it was wrong to do that, but his heart pounded for him to do it.

He closed the balcony door, slowly walked into Misaki's bedroom, and closed it while locking the door behind him.

The streetlights shined through her undraped window to highlight his sleeping beauty. He tried to stay away; to keep from waking her, but he couldn't. Hei slowly removed his shoes, black trench coat, weapons and shirt to throw them on the floor. He rounded over to his side of her bed, pulled up the covers, and lie beside her. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently kissed her lips. She didn't wake from his soft touch, but wrapped her arms around his waist to cuddle up with her head pressed against his chest.

"Li," she mumbled in her sleep. "I love you."

"I love you too, Misaki," he said.

Hei kissed her forehead.

He lay beside her the rest of the night. He didn't bat an eye from exhaustion, and as the sun peered through the window, Hei decided to take his leave.

--

Misaki began to wake up the next morning.

"Li," she whispered, as she went to run her hands along his bare chest, but only felt bed sheets. She opened her eyes to see he was not there. "Li?"

"I guess you didn't make a good enough impression, Misaki," said Kanami, startling her. Kanami was standing next to the door smiling at Misaki. "He's not here."

"But he was here, I felt him."

"You were dreaming. Saitou said he was up all night and no one came. Now hurry up and get dressed, I don't want to miss any of the good sales today."

Misaki stared at Kanami peculiarly, and then sighed.

"Plus, we need to find you some appropriate lingerie so that next time Li will come running to you," said Kanami.

She departed her room, as Miskai sat up from the bed.

Misaki kept telling herself that it wasn't a dream. Li was here last night. She lay back on her bed, taking in the air around her, as she could still smell his scent lingering in the air. A tear escaped her eye and wished he would stop running away from her.

--

To be continued…

--

(1) It's a line from The Princess Bride that Sakabatou77 added as a joke when he was correcting my story. He added breasted to the line. It was too funny, and I didn't have the heart to remove it. Anyone who knows The Princess Bride knows this part. It's where Wesley (or the man in black at the time) defeats the giant. Love this movie.

--

A/N: Thanks again to everyone for reading. Please let me know what you thought.

It's also been a year since I started posting this story. Yeah!! Happy Anniversary to me. I thought I'd let everyone know the story stats. This is only for Chapters 1-10. The others ones are still too new.

In first place is Chapter 5. Li's New Stalker. This really boggles my mind. I thought everyone was mad at me for Misaki arresting Li, because I had the fewest reviews on this chapter. If you are one of the many that love this chapter, please let me know why you adore it so much.

In second place is Chapter 4. Big Trouble in a Little Apartment. This makes me happy, because it happens to be my favorite chapter of the ten. I mean, who doesn't love Misaki spending time with Li, and Li trying to use a gun.

The next chapter is a little hard, but I would have to say its Chapter 9. Death is only the Beginning.

In addition, chapter 11, 'I don't want him to leave me', has already surpassed chapter 10, and chapter 13, 'Splendid Morning, Disastrous Night', has far surpassed chapter 12 and is right behind 11.

So all this has made me wonder. What is your favorite chapter so far? Mine is Chapter 11. Who doesn't love Hei staying at Misaki's place?

Please let me know. Anonymous reviews are open to anyone without an account, who would like to participate.


	16. Nothing but Trouble

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Sixteen: Nothing but Trouble

--

Misaki exited her bedroom to see Kanami making some breakfast as Saitou sat on her couch watching the television. She was surprised he was able to stay up all night and wondered why he didn't look tired.

"Hello, someone help me!" a voice screamed outside Misaki's balcony.

Misaki jumped from the noise, as she went to go grab her gun out of her purse while Saitou reached under his suit jacket to grab his. They carefully walked over to the balcony with Saitou leading. He opened the door, allowing Misaki to step out and scan the area. Saitou followed with Kanami waiting inside.

Misaki didn't see anything and lowered her gun.

"I guess it was just one of my neighbor's televisions," said Misaki.

"Please get me down from here!" the voice cried out again.

Saitou and Misaki pointed their guns over the balcony to see a man, dressed in a black trench coat and white mask, hanging upside down.

"BK-201?" Saitou questioned. "I thought I was dreaming last night."

Misaki looked over at Saitou displeased. She wasn't upset that he had fallen asleep last night, but because he had lied. She sighed away her irritation and looked back down at the hanging man.

"He's probably another imposter," replied Misaki.

"Please help me," the man begged.

"Whom do you work for?" Misaki questioned.

The hanging man didn't respond.

"Answer me," Misaki demanded.

"I won't tell you," said the hanging man.

"You look comfortable hanging there. I guess you won't mind if I leave you there all day.

Misaki began to walk back into the room.

"Wait, wait!" The hanging man yelled. Misaki stopped, turned on her heels, and went back to look down at the man. "Someone just approached me on the street and asked me to kill someone at this address. They gave me a bag full of money and told me to wear this outfit. That's all I know, I swear."

"What did he look like?" Saitou asked.

"I don't know. The man came up behind me."

Misaki sighed. She wished she could get a good lead. She new the Syndicate was behind all the attacks, but all the men they used seemed to be street punks. The puppeteer Contractor wasn't, but he was dead. Misaki wished Li had not killed him so she could question him, but a part of her was happy he did.

"Who tied you up?" Saitou asked curious.

"Another man dressed in the same outfit," he replied. "Before I passed out he placed his hands on me and I could feel electricity flow through my body."

Saitou's body shook and wondered if it was the ghost of BK-201. Misaki gestured for Saitou to pull him up, as she went back into her room. He ignored her orders and followed her into the living room.

"Chief, eh, Captain." He began to ask while shaking. "I bet my badge that that was BK-201 at the party, and he was the same person who dropped the imposter on my car. Why do you think BK-201 came back from the dead?"

"Oi, help me, please!" cried the hanging man. "I had answered your questions."

Misaki narrowed her eyes while she pursed her lips at him. She wished he would drop it about Li being a ghost. He was going to give himself a nightmare.

"Not to mention he seems to be protecting you," added Saitou. "Do you think he might have to make right all the wrongs he did?"

"Hello? Is anybody still there?" the hanging man asked. "I think all my blood is in my head. It's going to explode. I promise I'll be a good boy from now on."

"What happened on the roof the other…?"

"Saitou!" she replied, giving him a stern look. "The other man obviously had a stun gun in his hand."

"But why would he stop someone trying to kill you?"

"Saitou, if you keep it up, you can turn in your badge!" Misaki yelled. "Now would you rescue the guy before he passes out! He's lucky he hasn't yet."

"Eh, hai, Che… eh Captain," he replied, as he went back onto the balcony and mumbled, "Something doesn't seem right."

There was a knock at Misaki's door. She let out a little growl, figuring she knew whom it was, and walked over to open it to reveal two police officers standing outside the hall. They bowed, as she smacked her head for being right.

"Good morning, miss," said the officer to her right. "We got a call saying that someone was hanging from your balcony. Do you know anything about it?"

There was a plump sound behind Misaki. Her right eye twitched, as the officers looked around her. Their eyes widened at the sight of the hanging man, as Saitou untied him. They looked back at her with a stern face.

"Miss, can you explain this?" the officer to her left asked.

"You two don't need to be concerned about it," said Misaki. She walked over to her counter, pulled out her badge from her purse, and returned to her door to show the officers. "Captain Kirihara Misaki of the Foreign Affairs. This man tried to sneak into my room using a wire and got tied up in his own line."

"Oh, sorry, Captain. We'll make our leave."

The two officers bowed, which Misaki returned, and left as she closed her door. She quickly opened it back up.

"Wait one second, officers," she yelled. They turned around to look at her. "I need you to drive this officer and man to the station."

They looked at her peculiarly as she looked to Saitou who was placing the cuffs on the hanging man.

"Make sure you get a full statement from him, understood," said Misaki.

"Hai, Captain," said Saitou.

"Nani? I gotta answer more questions?" the hanging man asked, as he was being ushered out of the room.

Kanami walked up to Misaki.

"I guess Li-kun was here," she said to Misaki.

"Hai."

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Hai, I'll be fine."

Misaki went back into her room. She was right. Li did come to see her last night. She lay on her bed, and smiled, knowing he was close by. She grabbed the pillow he had slept on, and held it close while taking in his scent, which caused her to cry. Why didn't she wake up?

Kanami entered moments later.

"Oh, come on Misaki, you're not going to lie in here and cry all day." Kanami grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of bed. "Even if Li came to save you again last night, he's still hiding from you, so we are going shopping."

Misaki rolled her eyes.

--

Misaki drove in her car through the city on a rainy day as she thought about the last few days. More street punks dressed up as the Black Reaper had continuously attacked her. Li was there to intervene, which pleased her to know he was still around, but she wished he would be her bodyguard closer to her. Saitou still believed he was a ghost, which was better for her since it prevented him from investigating Li.

Misaki believed her father might know who was behind the attacks and called him to meet her for dinner.

Misaki pulled over across from the restaurant and parked her car. She grabbed her umbrella, exited her vehicle and walked across the street. She looked around for her father, but didn't see him waiting around anywhere.

A minute later she saw him walking down the street with an umbrella. Misaki waved at him, which it caught his attention and had him smile at her. Suddenly a shot echoed amongst the buildings. Misaki's father stared on shocked, stumbled to his knees, and then fell forward as he released his hold on his umbrella. A gust of wind picked it up and sent it flying into the street where a car ran over it.

"Father!" she cried out while dropping her umbrella to run over to him. "Father."

Misaki bent down to roll him over and lay him in her arms. Rain ran down her hair and face to drip onto his face. People stared at them flabbergasted.

"Don't just stand there, someone call an ambulance!" she yelled as she continued to cry.

She checked for a pulse but she was too frantic and couldn't tell.

Naoyasu coughed awake, making Misaki sigh in relief, as the rain stopped, as though to show her good fortune.

"Father," she said as he tried to sit up. "Don't move."

Misaki started to look for the bullet wound but didn't see any blood. She opened up his shirt to see he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

"Eh? But how did you…"

"Hei," he said while sitting up in pain. "Ouch"

"Are you all right?"

"Hai, I just got the wind knocked out of me."

"How did Li know?"

"Yin has been spying on some men and got word of their plans."

"What men?"

"The same ones responsible for trying to kill you."

"Why would they want to kill you?"

"They were tired of someone ruining their plans to kill you, and believed I was somehow involved. Hei's been watching them, waiting for them to make their move. He wanted me to get shot…"

"What?"

"Let me finish. He wanted the assassin to think he killed me, and head back to his contact for payment. Hei's probably following him as we speak."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"We didn't want you to worry. I'm relieved the man who targeted me didn't notice you."

"Wait a minute; you've been in contact with him. How? Where's he staying?"

"Hei came to me, Misaki."

"And you didn't follow him?"

"And you can?"

Misaki looked at her father knowing he was right, but then she thought of something and said, "How did he know about the incident at the party?"

"Yin was spying on…"

"I don't believe you, Father. You somehow tipped him off about the Syndicate's plans. In addition, how did he find someone connected to them? No one was talking. You had to have tipped him off about someone suspicious in the Syndicate."

He looked down at the ground avoiding her question.

"Please, Father, I have to see him," she said.

"I'm sorry, Misaki, I don't know where he's staying."

"But you have to."

"I don't. I swear."

Misaki's eyes started to water. Naoyasu struggled to kneel so he could comfort her. Moments later his phone rang.

"Hello," he said into it.

After a few seconds he hung up.

"Who was that?" asked Misaki.

"Wrong number."

--

Hei, wearing his black clothes, followed Naoyasu's assassin to a park. Hei had been watching Misaki carefully to prevent any attempts on her life. He was grateful that Naoyasu had found someone connected to the assassination plots on Misaki. He had become frustrated and angry every time their hit men turned out to be street punks.

Hei watched him as he roamed around the park.

Ten minutes later a man dressed in blue jeans, a black jacket and blue baseball cap approached him from behind. The man handed him a paper bag that Hei believed was full of money, and then took off.

"Yin, do you have the contact?" Hei asked.

"Hai," she replied.

"Good, let me know if he contacts anyone else."

"Hai."

Hei quietly walked up behind the assassin, placed his hand on his shoulder, and sent a volt of electricity through him. He grabbed him to hold him as if he was helping a drunken friend, and walked over to a bench to sit him down. Hei pulled out some of his wire, wrapped it to the bench and under his coat to hide it from the public.

Hei pulled out his phone that Naoyasu had giving him and called him.

"_Hello,"_Naoyasu said on the other end.

"Send a unit over to Hibiya Park, he's sitting on a bench," said Hei, and then hung up.

"Yin, what direction did the contact walk off to?" Hei asked.

"Westward from the entrance of Hibiya Park," she replied.

Hei headed in the direction.

Twenty minutes later the clouds had moved from the city to have the sunshine on it. Yin instructed Hei to stop in front of an apartment complex and then told him the contact was in room 618. Hei pulled out his phone to speed dial Naoyasu again.

"_Hello,"_Naoyasu said on the other end.

"I have an address," said Hei, and told him were the contact was.

"It can't be?"

"It can't be who? Do you know him?"

"_I believe we found our man_," stated Naoyasu.

"I can kill him?"

"_Hei, please don't make a move yet. I'll be there shortly."_

"You got fifteen minutes since I don't think I can hold my anger any longer."

--

Naoyasu hung up his phone and began to walk over to his car.

"Where do you think you're going?" Misaki asked behind him, still damp from the rain.

"Something came up."

"You're going to see him, aren't you?"

"No, I'm…"

"I'm coming with you," she said, as she jumped in his passenger seat.

"Misaki, you can't come. You should go home and get a change of clothes so you don't get sick."

"Like hell I'm not. And you're just as wet."

Naoyasu sighed; knowing he couldn't stop her. He sat behind his wheel, turned on the engine, and headed towards the address Hei had given him.

"So are you going to tell me how he contacted you?"

"He got my number."

"So trace his call."

"His number comes up unknown and his calls are always too quick."

"Why do I have a hard time believing you?"

"I don't know how to reach him, Misaki. Besides, whatever is going on is between you and him. Don't drag me into it."

"Still, you should have told me."

"We're here."

Naoyasu parked the car. Misaki opened the door quickly and tried to leave the car, but she was pinned to her chair because she forgot to release her seatbelt. She hit the latch, hurried out of the car, and looked for Li.

--

Hei, wearing his black trench coat over his black clothes, was hiding in the trees with Yin, as he saw Naoyasu arrive. Hei looked over at the passenger seat and stared flabbergasted to see Misaki in it. Why was she here?

He watched her hurry out of the car and look around the area. Hei came out slightly from the trees to show his appearance. Misaki's eyes widened and quickly ran over to him to embrace him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked upset.

"She was with me when I got shot," replied Naoyasu.

"But why is she here?"

"You're here to capture the man who's been trying to kill me. I have as much right to be here as you do," she stated.

"Misaki, this isn't a game, you could be shot."

"I'm a police Officer, Li. I'm at risk everyday..."

"Enough, you two," interrupted Naoyasu. "Hei, which room?"

Hei pointed to a room on the sixth floor with the window balcony open.

"Can you get me up there?"

He stepped out from the trees, pulled out his wire, and hooked it to the balcony's rail.

"Can you climb this?" Hei asked.

"I might be older, but I'm still in great shape, Hei," stated Naoyasu.

Hei removed his gloves and handed them to him.

"Thank you," said Naoyasu, as he put on the gloves, and then started to climb up the wire.

"Why is he going up there and not you?" Misaki asked, fearing her father would be killed.

"It's something he said he needed to take care of."

"But he could be killed, Li. Why didn't you stop him?"

"He'll be alright."

He leaned towards her and kissed her, causing Misaki to sink into it since she feared she might not get another chance anytime soon. A minute later he pulled away from her, making her dread their departure, and have her wish he could lock his lips with her forever.

Yin stepped before Misaki to distract her from her thoughts. Unexpectedly Yin rose on her tippy-toes and kissed her on the mouth. Misaki's eyes widened as Hei rolled his eyes at Yin. Yin pulled away and tilted her head curiously, as though the kiss was meant to mean something.

Na…nani?" Misaki asked dumbfounded.

"Hei's always doing it," said Yin. "Hei won't teach me. Will you?"

"Eh…?"

Without warning Yin leaned forward to kiss Misaki again.

Hei's eyes widened at Yin. He grabbed her arm to pull her away with Yin's tongue sticking out.

"A—always doing it?" mumbled Misaki.

"Sorry, Misaki, it's a long story," said Hei, as he smiled sheepishly.

He focused upwards and then retracted himself up to the balcony; leaving Misaki alone with Yin. Hei looked back down at them and wondered if leaving them together was a smart idea since Yin might try to fill up Misaki.

He shook away the thought, as he crossed his fingers it wouldn't come true, and gestured for them to hide back in the trees.

--

Naoyasu stepped inside the small apartment to see his target standing by his sink washing his hands.

"I thought the Syndicate wiped your memory clean so you couldn't talk about them anymore?" Naoyasu said.

The man jumped from being startled and turned around to look at him.

"It's good to know people in high places, Naoyasu," replied Hourai.

"The whole thing was forged?"

"Hai."

"How is it you're out of jail? Are they behind that too?"

"No, the judge let me go on good behavior. He didn't see why the taxpayers should pay for someone who supposedly doesn't remember why he was jailed to begin with."

"So you've been working with the Syndicate all this time?"

"Not really. I have my own contacts within the Syndicate who are helping me with my goal."

"You mean the Syndicate isn't behind killing my daughter?"

"No, why would they be? She's been doing them a favor at capturing Contractors."

"So why kill her?"

"Revenge," replied Hourai, and held up a gun to point it at Naoyasu's head. "Who did you get to save her?"

"If you kill me and my daughter, it will outrage him even more, and he'll kill you and your contacts. He knows who you are now."

"And who would that be?"

"The God of Death."

"Ha, ha, your so funny, Naoyasu." Hourai went to fire his gun, but a man dressed in black with a white mask jumped in front of Naoyasu. The bullet bounced of his jacket, as Hourai looked at him flabbergasted. "BK-201? But your dead, how?"

BK-201 pulled out his wire, threw it to wrap it around Hourai's neck, and pulled on the wire. Hourai grabbed at the wire while struggling to breathe.

A man came out from the bedroom highlighted in blue with red eyes. Naoyasu felt a force hit his body that knocked him out of the room and onto the balcony. He grabbed the rails to prevent himself from falling. He looked down and could see Misaki coming out from the trees.

"Father!" she cried out.

Naoyasu could feel the Contractors force growing stronger. He lost his grip on the rail to be flung over, and began to fall. Just as his foot passed the railing a wire wrapped around it and pulled him to safety.

Naoyasu watched Misaki run into the apartment building, fearing she would get hurt, and hoped Hei could end the fight soon. He quickly pulled out his gun and looked over at Hei to see him being hit with the same air pressure to slam him into the wall, breaking his mask, and knocking him out. The Contractor turned his attention back to Naoyasu who went to fire his gun, but it was blown out of his hand. Naoyasu feared he would be sent flying over the balcony railing, but unexpectedly Hei threw a blade at the Contractor, which impaled him in the back of the head. The Contractor fell forward dead.

Naoyasu let out a breath of relief and looked back at Hourai to see he had recovered from being choked. He quickly stood and headed for his front door. Hourai grabbed the knob, forcing Hei to throw his wire to wrap it around Hourai's neck, causing him to grab at it while trying to breathe again.

Hei's anger ignited in him, having him tighten the wire, as Hourai started turning blue.

"Hei, that's enough," said Naoyasu.

"No," Hei said, his voice vibrating angrily and pulled his wire even tighter. "This is the second time he's tried to kill Misaki. He needs to pay for what he put her through."

"I would like to see him pay for it too, but you can't kill him."

Hei's anger rose beyond boiling point, which urged him to pull Hourai towards him, grab him by the head to force him to the ground, and knock him out.

Still not satisfied at his actions, Hei sat on top of him and started beating his face repeatedly. Naoyasu ran over to him and grabbed Hei to throw him off Hourai.

"That's enough, Hei," he said while holding him back.

"It's not enough!" yelled Hei, ready to pounce on him again.

Naoyasu smiled at him, causing Hei to stop and look at him perplexed. Naoyasu pulled out a syringe from his pocket.

"And I can't think of a better punishment for him than total amnesia," he said. He kneeled and injected the fluid into his body. "I'm also going to send him out on the first plane to the desert."

Hei looked over at him, anger still surging through his veins, but started to calm down.

"Hei, shouldn't you leave before Misaki gets here?"

Before Hei could move, the front door opened to allow Misaki in and see Hei. Hei smiled at her and turned around to head for the balcony.

"Not another step, BK-201," a man's voice screamed out.

Hei and Naoyasu turned around to see the man with the baseball cap holding Misaki in a chokehold with a gun pressed to her temple. Naoyasu wondered how or why he was let out of jail, but figured it was the same reason Hourai was let out.

"I should have known she had given it to you", the man said. "How's about you handing over that stone you're carrying and I won't put a bullet in her pretty head."

"Let her go!" yelled out Naoyasu, as he began to run over to them, but Hei held him back.

"How do I know you'll let her go," Hei replied angrily. "You've been working with Hourai to kill her. How do I know you won't put a bullet in her head, even after you have the stone?"

"Yes, I've been working with him, but only for the money. That's why I'm here, to collect my payment. What perfect timing."

"You can have everything I have, just let my daughter go," cried out Naoyasu.

"I'm not interested in ending her life. With that stone, I could make a fortune."

Hei reached into his pocket to pull out a small bag with Naoyasu looking at him stunned.

"LI, NO!" cried out Misaki. "If that stone falls into the wrong hands…"

"Shut up," the baseball cap man said, as he held her tighter and pushed the gun harder into her head. "Just toss it here, Hei."

Hei tossed the bag while Misaki looked on horrified. That man's eyes lit up with pleasure as he reached his hand out and grabbed the bag.

The baseball cap man looked down at the bag and began to laugh hysterically. Hei quickly grab one of his blades and threw it to fly by Misaki's head and impale the man's forehead. Misaki's eyes widened in shock as blood seeped out from the wound. The man's eyes stared out dumbfounded and he released his hold on Misaki while falling backwards dead.

Naoyasu stormed up to Hei furiously and grabbed his shirt to pull him towards him.

"What do you think you were doing?" shouted Naoyasu. "You could have hit Misaki."

Hei glared back at him, and said, "If I didn't, Misaki would be…"

"You damn Contractors! Always thinking rationally and not caring about someone's life." Naoyasu's anger rose and put his gun to Hei's head. "I should shoot you right now for almost endanger my daughter's life."

Hei stood in silence gazing into Naoyasu's fierce eyes.

"Father, he's right," yelled Misaki. "The man was about to pull the trigger."

Naoyasu looked over his shoulder at his daughter baffled and glared back at Hei still angry.

"I was wrong about him, Misaki. I thought he was different. He's just like all the rest of them."

"Father. If he was like the rest of them, why hasn't he electrocuted you yet?"

Naoyasu looked back at her and then glanced back at Hei again. He released Hei while pushing him away from him and walked over to Misaki.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Hai."

Hei went over to the baseball cap man and grabbed the bag. He picked it up, put it back in his pocket, and gazed at Misaki. She quickly went to embrace him.

Hei smiled at her and then kissed her. He pushed her at arms length and said, "I'm sorry, I can't stay."

"Please don't go."

"The police will be here soon," Hei replied.

"Please, take me with you."

Hei caressed her cheek and then kissed her again. Seconds later they could hear sirens in the distance.

"Misaki. I have to go," he muttered into her ear.

Hei started to pull away from her but felt something tug at his left wrist. He looked over his shoulder and down at his hand baffled to see Misaki's handcuffs around his wrist and the other side around hers.

"You're coming with me, BK-201," she said sternly.

Hei looked up at her shocked, "Misaki?"

"I'm not letting you get away again. You're under arrest for stealing my heart."

Naoyasu rolled his eyes at his daughter as Hei continued to stare at her baffled.

She pulled Hei up against her and vigorously kissed him. Hei wrapped his free and cuffed hands around her waist and pulled her even tighter to him. They continued to kiss; not realizing the sirens were growing louder.

After what seemed like hours, Hei pushed Misaki at arms length and said, "I have to go. Saitou and Kouno will be here shortly."

Misaki looked up at him shaking her head that he couldn't leave without her. Hei pulled away from Misaki and ran over to the balcony. Misaki stared at him startled and then looked down to see he had removed the cuffs from around his wrist. She looked back up at him, as he stared back at her while popping his thumb back in place, and smiled at her. He turned around and jumped from the window.

She ran over to the window to see he was gone. She tried to hold back her tears, but one escaped.

"So that's how he freed himself the last time I had handcuffed him," she said to herself.

She then looked back at the man on the ground.

"Is that really, Hourai?" she questioned, almost not recognizing his beat up face and wondered what had happened to him.

"Hai," said Naoyasu.

"But how?"

"I'll explain everything to you later."

--

A week later, the restaurant where Hei worked at re-opened its doors. Hei stood by a stove cooking some fried rice as Asami came up to him.

"Hey, Hizumi," she began. She handed him his glasses. "I figured you might want these back. But I don't think you really need them."

Hei grabbed his glasses, set them in his apron pocket, and said, "Arigatou."

"I didn't want to bother you, but what exactly happened at the party the other day?"

Hei ignored her question while keeping his attention on the meal.

"I knew you wouldn't answer," she said upset. "I know you are the one who knocked out all those men."

He didn't flinch from her accusation.

"Are you some kind of cop or criminal that is under police protection?"

Hei looked at her; not believing she would come up with something like that, and believed she watched too many nighttime dramas.

"Anyway, there's a young lady outside asking for you," she said.

Hei looked at her stunned. His eye's widened, as he began to wonder if Misaki's father told Misaki who had catered the party.

"Hizumi, are you all right?" she asked.

"Eh, hai," he said, trying to smile it off.

"You are under some kind of protection, aren't you?"

Hei smiled off the question again.

"That woman you saw at the festival and the banquet party," Asami began to say, as Hei believed Misaki was waiting for him out in the restaurant. "Is she an ex-girlfriend?"

He began to sweat. Even though the Syndicate thought he was dead, their lackeys kept on crossing his path. If things stayed the course, eventually they would see him and Misaki together. He would have to move again to prevent that.

"She was here the other day looking for a black-haired and blue-eyed Chinese man. That's you, isn't it?" she asked. Asami must have told Misaki he worked here. "Does she think your dead or something?"

He looked at her baffled, still wondering where she came up with this stuff, but he started worrying that Misaki was waiting for him.

"Relax, Hizumi. She's not out there, and I didn't tell her you were working here," said Asami. Hei continued to stare at her dumbfounded. "You need to stop hiding from her. You both look broken-hearted. Whatever is keeping you two apart, it can't be worth it, and maybe you'll get your appetite back."

Hei blinked at her baffled.

"The lady outside just wants to thank the person who cooked her meal," she said. "I'll tell her that you'll be right out to meet her."

Hei smelled something burning and looked down to see his rice was now charcoal.

"Oh crap!" he shouted, as he pulled the rice off.

He wondered if Asami was playing a trick on him, and it was Misaki waiting for him.

He sighed as he dreaded having to move again, but decided to meet the young lady and thank her. He put on his glasses, walked through the back door, and looked for Asami. Asami waved at him by a far end table with the lady's back facing him.

Hei walked up to the table, bowed his gratitude, and as he straightened his posture, he stared at the young lady flabbergasted.

--

The next day Kanami picked up Misaki and dragged her out shopping again. They went to the clothing store that Misaki had caught Li holding the bra. She smiled at the memory, but then her bottom lip began to tremble. Kanami walked over to her, as she started crying. She wondered what was wrong, but then she felt stupid about bringing her friend here, as she realized where they were.

They arrived back at Misaki's apartment after hours of shopping. Misaki fished through her purse to pull out her keys and opened the door.

"SURPRISE!"

Misaki jumped and then looked on shocked at all the people in her small apartment.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Misaki stared as Saitou, Kouno, Ootsuka, Matsumoto and everyone else from her department. She smiled at the gesture; the first time in months. Her father was also present and a couple people she didn't recognize. Her father came up to her.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart," he said, as he handed her a gift.

"Arigatou, Father."

People kept coming up to her. She wondered how all these people could fit in her little apartment. She went over to her kitchen, noticing the alcohol and food, and grabbed a beer. An hour and a few beers later, Misaki headed over to her balcony, but stopped as she heard a noise that sounded like a spoon tapping a glass.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please," said Kanami. Misaki turned around to see her friend standing on her expensive coffee table. She had better not break it, or she would be coughing up her check for the next few months. "Thank you all for coming to share my friend's birthday with me. I've known her since grade school. She has always been there for me, and she will always be my best friend. Misaki, this toast is for you. I hope that you get everything you wish for on your birthday."

Misaki snorted under her breath. Not likely. The only thing she wanted for her birthday was Li, and she had a better chance at winning the lottery.

She smiled at her friend and walked out onto her balcony. Misaki thought about the day she stood out here after trying to cook breakfast for Li. Her body shivered in delight as she remembered how it felt with him holding her in his arms. She wished he were here to keep her warm. She wrapped her arms around her body, as a tear fell down her cheek.

Misaki heard her balcony door open. She looked over her shoulders to see her father. He closed the door and stood next to her.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" her father asked.

"Hai, I'm fine," she said while wiping away her tear.

"You still have no idea where he is, do you?"

"No, but it is better that I don't know."

"I'm not so sure it is."

Misaki looked at her father stunned.

"I've never liked him because he is a Contractor. Hearing how he handled many of his missions used to drive me crazy. Not killing a soulless doll because she was alive, or helping a couple try to escape the Syndicate because they were in love. I was very upset the day I heard someone ordered him to kill you, but I was surprised even more that he couldn't, and he instead ended up protecting you. I've never understood him sometimes, but now I do. He's not like other Contractors; he truly does care for you. Next time you see him, don't let him get away."

Misaki looked at her father baffled. She couldn't believe he would say all this after trying to kill him. Maybe he had reconsidered the thought since working with him to capture her assassins. She still wondered if he was lying about where Li was. She wished he would tell her, but he was right that this was something her and Li needed to work out.

"You're guest are leaving," he said. "You should go and thank them for coming."

"Hai," she smiled, and then hugged her father.

They parted from each other's arms and reentered her living room. Misaki walked over to her door to say goodbye to those who were leaving. Her father, Kanami, Saitou, Kouno and Ootsuka stayed behind to clean up.

After the last guest departed, Misaki picked up a trash bag to help clean up.

"Misaki, it's all right, we got this," said Kanami to her. "You should go rest."

Misaki looked at her friend smiling.

"Thank you, Kanami, for always being there for me," replied Misaki.

She stepped back onto the balcony, leaned against the railing, and stared out at the huge city. How could she find one man among so many?

Her balcony door crept open.

"Are you all right?" a man asked.

Misaki turned around to see Saitou.

"Hai, I'm fine," she replied, and then returned her attention towards the city.

Saitou stood next to her.

"You know, when I got into trouble at Alice's Party, I had to go wash dishes with Li-kun," began Saitou. "He asked about you."

Misaki looked over at Saitou shocked from knowing about her and Li.

"He thought you were very beautiful and asked me if I knew you. We started talking more about you. I didn't think of it then, but now I realize he's liked you ever since he saw you in that Chinese dress."

"Did he really ask about me?"

"Hai."

Misaki looked forward as the wind whipped at her hair.

"If I could, I would search all over China and bring him back to you," smiled Saitou.

Misaki's eyes drifted to stare at Saitou baffled, but then she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Saitou," she said.

"Happy Birthday, Captain," he muttered.

Saitou opened the door, stepped into the apartment, and closed it behind him.

Misaki followed him to see that everybody had finished cleaning. Ootsuka came up to her to wish her a Happy Birthday and said goodnight. Kouno, Matsumoto and her father followed. Saitou walked up to her still concerned.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked.

"Hai," replied Misaki.

Saitou wished her a Happy Birthday and left as well.

Kanami came up to her next.

"I'm sorry, Misaki. I really tried to get you everything you wanted for your Birthday."

"I know," smiled Misaki.

"Would you like me to stay with you tonight?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Happy Birthday, Misaki."

"Thanks, Kanami."

"Don't forget to wear it. I'm sure if he's watching, he can't resist," said Kanami, as she left her apartment.

Misaki walked into her bedroom and stared at her bed. Ever since the other night, she had no problem sleeping in her bed, knowing that Li was close by. Sometimes she felt like he was in bed with her. She blushed, as she dressed into red lingerie that Kanami had picked out, hoping Li was watching. She hoped her friend was right, and she prayed he couldn't resist coming to her. She crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Suddenly she heard a noise on her balcony. She exited her bed to check it out, but there was nothing. She turned around, thinking it was a stupid cat again, and headed towards her bedroom.

As she reached the door, music started to play. Misaki gazed around her room dumbfounded to see nothing. Suddenly someone came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Happy Birthday, Misaki," he said.

Misaki turned around and stared into midnight blue eyes.

"Li?" she said, as she questioned if the man before her was real, or if she was having another dream.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight against her body, and began kissing him. Li wrapped his hands around her neck and vigorously kissed her. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.

"You look beautiful tonight," said Li while he slowly moved his hands down her back and below her waist. He started to lead her, as their body's moved to the music. "I don't believe we got a chance to finish our dance."

They danced for a while with Misaki leaning her head on his chest. Li held her tight against him, as he lay his chin against her head, taking in her scent.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

"I've missed you, Misaki"

"How did you know about today?"

"Kanami," he said.

"Kanami found you?"

"Hai."

"But how?"

"She found the restaurant I'm working at."

"Really?"

"Hai. I'm sorry Misaki; I didn't bring you a birthday present."

"You didn't have to bring anything except yourself. All I wanted was you."

Li kissed her and then said, "I promise I'll have one tomorrow."

Misaki looked at him baffled. "You shouldn't have come, it's too dangerous."

"Misaki, I've been miserable without you by my side. I can't eat and I can't sleep. When I held you at the party, it was as if my heart started beating again. The days I followed you around were torture. I don't want to feel that anymore. I love you, Misaki."

Misaki looked into his eyes.

"I love you, Li."

Li pulled her against him to kiss her. His lips moved slowly along her jaw, down her neck and chest, as he moved his hands below her waist. Minutes later Misaki jumped onto his hips, holding her hands around his neck, and kissed his jaw line. He slowly made his way to her bedroom, as he kissed her neck, cheeks, jaw, and then finding his way back to her lips. He laid her on the edge of the bed. He took off his shirt to throw it on the floor, ran his hands along her body while slowly removed her lingerie, and kissed down her body. She didn't think about anything except for him. She hoped he would never run from her again.

--

The next morning Misaki woke up in her bed, but Li wasn't beside her. She wondered if what she had felt last night was real, or if she had dreamt the whole thing. She had been dreaming about him for the past week, all of the dreams different, but the end result was always the same. One dream was where she had come home from work to find him cooking dinner. After finishing their meal they had worked their way into her bed. However, when she had woken up the next day, she found herself lying under her covers naked and alone.

Another dream he appeared while she was taking a shower, but like her previous dream, he was gone in the morning. Was last night just another one of her dreams? She didn't believe that Kanami could find Li, when she couldn't even find him. In addition, there was no way he would know it was her birthday, unless her father had said something, but her father didn't want him around her. She stood from her bed, hoping it wasn't a dream as she held the covers over her naked body, and prayed Li was in the kitchen making breakfast.

She opened the door, but she didn't see any sign of him. Her heart began to ache; as she went to go check the bathroom, but there wasn't any trace that someone had used it.

She sat on her couch, grabbed a pillow, and held it tightly. Misaki felt her tears swell up, which caused her to shut her eyelids to keep them from crying, but she couldn't hold them back and felt her tears escape. It was all but another perfect dream.

To be continued…


	17. The Present

Darker than Black: A Heart is not Black

Chapter Seventeen: The Present

--

Misaki continued to cry on her couch, but at the corner of her eye she saw a note on her coffee table. She quickly grabbed it and read it.

_My Love,_

_I had to leave for work early. You looked so beautiful sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. I'll see you later tonight __with your present._

_I love you,_

Li

Misaki's tears turned to bliss, knowing that last night was not a dream. Her heartbeat pounded heavily, knowing that she was going to see him again tonight. She was happy to see that he signed the letter Li, believing he had finally accepted himself for who he is. She stood up from the couch, held the letter close to her heart, and spun on her toes with joy. She walked into her room to dress while hoping the day would fly by. She didn't care about the present he had for her, all she wanted was to hold him in her arms again.

--

Misaki walked into work with a spring in her step and a big smile on her face. Saitou sat over at his desk, and stopped what he was doing, as he watched Misaki enter her office. He believed he could hear her humming a song. He couldn't believe how happy she looked.

Ootsuka sat at the desk next to him smiling at her.

"She's in love again," she pointed out to Saitou.

"She's in love again?" he questioned. "How? She was totally depressed last night."

"Did you finally tell her how you feel?" Ootsuka teased Saitou.

"Me?" he said, waving his hands. "No."

"Well then, it looks like she made up with someone."

"Made up?" he asked while looking at her baffled. "But Li-kun's in China."

Ootsuka stared devilishly into Saitou's eyes.

"Li-kun?" she said. "I was right. It's the same Li-kun November was talking about."

"Eh, um," stuttered Saitou.

"How long were you planning on keeping that from me?"

"Ah, look at all the paperwork piling up," he said, trying to change the subject, and pretended to work on them.

"You've met him? Is he cute? How old is he? What color are his eyes? How long have they known each other? Have they kissed…?"

Saitou sighed, as Ootsuka continued rambling on. Didn't she know better than to ask him all these questions? He liked Misaki a lot, and to know she was with Li hurt him enough. He stood and walked away from his desk. Ootsuka rose from her chair and followed him.

"How tall is he?" she continued. "Where did they meet? Is he fat or skinny? Does he wear glasses?"

Unfortunately for her, he walked into the men's bathroom to have some privacy.

"Ah, no fair!" she yelled. "At least tell me what he's like?"

Saitou continued to think about Misaki and Li, who was _supposed_ to be in China. It can't be him. He began to wonder who else, besides him, liked the captain. The ghost of BK-201 had been saving her; maybe he was the culprit. Saitou hit his head for thinking something so stupid, but then thought of something else. Maybe Li was BK-201 and that is why Misaki wanted him to drop it about BK-201 being a ghost. He hit his head again. That couldn't be. Misaki had said she saw the two of them present at the same time. Maybe it was Kouno. He'd have to hurt his friend if that were the case.

--

Lunchtime was drawing near, as Ootsuka waited for Saitou to exit the men's restroom so she could ask him more questions about Li. She was dying to meet the one man who seemed to have stolen Misaki's heart. She was happy Misaki was in a good mood again since usually she was too strict and focused only on work. Li had to have come back from China if she was acting like this again.

Ootsuka heard the elevator door open, turned to see Kanami stepping from it, and watched her approach her.

"Hello, Kanami," said Ootsuka to her. "Are you here to see the Chie…? eh… Captain?"

"Hai, is she in her office?" Kanami asked.

"Hai." replied Ootsuka." "Eh, Kanami. Do you know who Li-kun is?"

"Ah, hai. I've met him a couple of times."

Ootsuka devilishly smiled and said, "Is he the one the Captain's in love with?"

Kanami smiled.

"How old is he? Since when have they been dating? Is he cute?"

Kanami walked over to Misaki's office while Ootsuka stood to follow and continued asking questions. Kanami ignored her questions, opened the door to step through it, and closed it on Ootsuka's face.

"Oi, that's mean!" she said infuriated. "You're no better than Saitou!"

She walked back over to her desk and sat down. She was determined to find out about him. As soon as Kanami left the office, she was going to pin her against a wall and interrogate her as a criminal until she got everything out of her concerning Li.

Minutes later the elevator door opened again, making Ootsuka turn to face it, and hope that the person stepping off it was Saitou; even though she hadn't seen him walk around the corner that led to the restrooms. She wanted someone to fill her in on the details.

She was distracted as her eyes fixated on a young, short black-haired man, wearing jeans and a v-neck t-shirt, who walked out of the elevator with his hands in his pockets. Ootsuka's eyes glittered at how handsome he was. He looked, to her, cool, dangerous and a very delicious: especially around the collarbones. She really wasn't into real men, but she would make an exception for him. She realized he was walking over to her, and diverted her eyes downwards while trying to make herself appear busy.

Ootsuka began to feel a little déjà vu, as if she had done this at a restaurant or something.

She noticed he stopped to look around the office, as if he were a little lost. She blushed while she brushed away the wrinkles on her skirt, and stood to go greet him.

"Um, excuse me. Is there something I could help you with?" she asked.

The man looked at her and smiled, causing Ootsuka's cheeks to turn bright red, and diverted her eyes away from his.

"Hai, I'm here to see Captain Kirihara," he said.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"Hai," he smiled.

"What's your name?"

"Jackie Chan."

"Could you please wait here? I'll go get her."

The man nodded in reply. Ootsuka turned around, still blushing, and walked over to Misaki's office to knock on the door. She turned back around to look at the man.

_He's so cute,_ she thought. _He would make a great candidate for my story's masked man._

"Who is it?" Misaki asked on the other side of her door.

"There's a Jackie Chan here to see you, Captain," replied Ootsuka.

"Jackie Chan, the movie star?" Misaki questioned.

Ootsuka felt stupid for falling for an obvious phony name and was about to go ask the man to leave, but she heard Misaki stand from her chair and open the door. She looked over at the man, and stared at him shocked. "What is he…?" Misaki huffed as she smiled. "Please send him in."

Ootsuka walked back to him and led him towards Misaki's office. She opened the door to let him in, as Kanami exited, and closed it behind him. Ootsuka thought she heard him lock the door. She placed her ear to it to eavesdrop on them.

"What are you doing here?" she heard Misaki ask the collarbone man.

The collarbone man didn't answer. Instead, she heard what she thought was them breathing heavily, and kissing. Next, she heard what sounded like papers crackling and things falling off her desk.

"What are you doing?" said Saitou, scaring her.

"Ah, nothing," replied Ootsuka.

"Nothing? Is someone in there with the Chie…eh…Captain?"

"Shh," Ootsuka whispered to Saitou.

She put her ear back against the door, which made Saitou frown. As if curiosity got the best of him, he too shoved his ear against it. Ootsuka could still hear heavy breathing and intense kissing, as other things fell onto the floor. Saitou's cheeks turned red from embarrassment and jealousy.

"What are you two doing?" Kanami asked, causing the two to jump.

"Shhh," they both said together.

"You shouldn't be spying on them," began Kanami, but she smiled and joined them.

Suddenly Misaki's door opened. They stared on shocked while they tumbled into Misaki's office. The floor was littered with pens, files and other things, and the desk was clean of items. Ootsuka looked up to see Misaki looking at them with a stern face.

Saitou followed her gaze and stared on shocked at the man standing behind her.

"Li-kun?" he questioned.

"Li-kun?" repeated Ootsuka dumbfounded.

"How did you get immigrations to let you back?" Saitou asked while standing.

"It's a long story," replied Kanami, as Kouno walked up to check out the commotion.

"You're Li-kun!" Ootsuka blurted out, as she stood up. "You're so cute. So how old are you? When did you two start dating? Have you two been slee…?"

"Ootsuka!" shouted Misaki, as she looked at her partners upset.

Li looked down to the ground embarrassed while scratching the back of his head.

--

Hei's stomach let out a loud base growl that echoed throughout the department. Everyone, except Misaki and Kanami, started looking around the office.

"What was that?" Ootsuka asked.

"Earthquake," replied Kouno.

Saitou stared at Hei who was scratching his head in embarrassment while looking towards the ground.

"I forgot how loud your stomach can get, Li-kun," said Saitou, as Ootsuka and Kouno looked at him dumbfounded.

Saitou walked up to Hei, wrapped his arm around his neck, and yanked his head downwards. "Li-kun, you lied to me, you little sneak." He then whispered to him, "If you hurt her again, you'll have to answer to me."

Ootsuka walked up to him and said, "Hello Li-kun. I'm Ootsuka. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hello," he said while bowing.

"Um, haven't we met somewhere before?" she asked while staring at him puzzled.

Hei scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, no, I don't believe we have," he said, hoping she wouldn't recognize him from the allergy potion incident.

"Are you sure? You look really familiar."

"Hai."

Hei's stomach let out another loud growl.

"Kanami and I were about to get something to eat," said Misaki. "Would you like to join us?"

"Hai," replied Hei.

"You're all welcome to come too," said Misaki to her colleagues.

--

They entered a local restaurant to be seated at a large rounded table. Li sat to Misaki's right, as Kanami took a seat to her left. Ootsuka settled across from Misaki while Kouno sat to her left and Saitou to her right.

Kanami smiled while watching how happy Misaki looked. Kanami had searched all over the Ogikubo area looking for Li after hearing about his fight with ZY-543. She searched restaurants and apartment buildings, asking if a Chinese man worked or lived there, but she had no luck.

She was surprised when Yin had walked up to her.

"_Hei's working as a cook at a restaurant called Ramen and More," _she had said to her

Kanami had asked whom, but she remembered Yin was the shy girl at Misaki's apartment. She realized she was a doll and had to be working with Li.

"_Hei? Do you mean Li-kun?" _she had asked.

"_Please ask for Hizumi," Yin had_ continued. "_I don't want to see him sad anymore."_

She had been surprised by the name. All that time she was looking for a Chinese man, and she didn't think he would take on a Japanese name. No wonder she couldn't find him. Kanami was even more surprised that a doll seemed to care a lot for Li. These two seemed to go against everything she knew about Contractors and Dolls.

When Misaki told her that Li had shown up last night, she couldn't believe he listened to her sob story at the restaurant about Misaki. Kanami had told him that if he really cared for her, he should forget opposite occupations, and go see her: at least on her birthday.

Misaki had frowned after she had asked if Li had tied a bow from his chest down to his six-pack, which she had asked him to wear, but she had said no. She had been disappointed, but the blush on Li's face was priceless, and she had wished she had brought her camera.

_Misaki better not let him go again_, she thought.

--

Their food arrived minutes later. Hei began to devour his meal and asked for another serving in seconds. The waitress cringed, as sweat poured down her face. Ootsuka and Kouno's right eyelid rose in shock.

Kouno leaned over to Ootsuka and whispered, "He's going to get fat when he hits thirty."

Ootsuka nodded while her tears poured down her cheeks like waterfalls, and said, "Ah, for some reason, I can't stop picturing my fan-fiction character all plump looking now."

"Hey, Misaki." Hei heard Kanami whisper. "You never answered me. Is that his obeisance?"

"No."

"Then what is it? Do you know?"

"He doesn't have one," Misaki whispered back.

Kanami looked at her friend and accidentally blurted out, "He doesn't have one!"

Hei spit out his food all over Saitou, as everybody stopped eating while dropping his or her silverware and stared at the commotion. Misaki looked around the restaurant and threw her hands on her forehead while shaking her head embarrassed.

"Sorry," said Kanami flustered, as Hei's cheeks turned red.

He coughed away his uneasiness, continued eating, and hoped everybody would stop staring at him. Ootsuka watched Hei eating like a horse, trying to figure out where she knew him from, as Saitou stood to head towards the toilet and clean up.

"Ah, now I remember," Ootsuka yelled out, as her colleagues and Hei looked at her. Hei started to sweat bullets. "I saw you eating at the ramen restaurant." She then mumbled, "What was I doing there?"

Misaki whispered into his ear, "She knows you, doesn't she?"

Hei nodded, hoping he wouldn't have to explain to her later about it. He didn't think Misaki would be too happy hearing that she had found out about him, and that he had been ordered to kill her. Ootsuka continued to watch Hei. He wondered how long it would be before it took her to put the pieces together. It was bad enough Kanami knew he was BK-201, but if Ootsuka found out, she was most likely to write about him in her stories again.

Saitou returned from the toilet and sat in his chair to stare at Hei.

"So, Li-kun, where are you working now?" he asked. "Another restaurant."

"Hai," replied Hei.

"Where at?" Saitou asked.

"A little restaurant called Ramen and More."

Misaki winced at the name and began pounding her head with her fist.

"I thought I told you to find some better jobs. Are you a waiter there too?" she asked.

"No. A chef," replied Hei.

"That's good to hear," said Saitou. "So, how did you get immigrations to let you back into the country?"

"Ah, it was no big deal. I only lost my original paperwork and had to get it replaced," replied Hei. "I'll be able to finish my schooling."

"School?" Saitou questioned. His eyes slanted at Hei. "Obviously you came back for other reasons."

Hei blushed.

Ootsuka kept on starring at Hei, as if she were some hawk eyeing a prey, which caused him to sweat a little bit more. Maybe it was a bad idea to eat with all of Misaki's friends present.

"I know," Ootsuka blurted out again, as Hei's sweat turned into bullets. "The masked man…"

Kanami's eyes widened and quickly tipped over her drink and spilt it all over her lap. Her colleagues' attention shifted from Ootsuka to Kanami.

"Darn it," she yelled. "Um, Ootsuka, would you come to the restroom with me, please? I don't think these guys want to listen to your cosplay stuff anyway."

Ootsuka looked at her wide-eyed but followed her to the restroom.

"What was that all about?" Kouno asked.

"She was probably going to ask Li to cosplay her masked hero," said Misaki, as Hei stopped sweating.

"Cosplay a hero?" questioned Saitou, and then laughed. "Too bad she doesn't know how clumsy Li is."

Misaki started to laugh along with Kouno. Hei looked at them embarrassed but joined in.

Minutes later, Kanami and Ootsuka returned from the restroom. Kanami walked over to Misaki and whispered something into her ear.

"So Ootsuka," began Saitou, "Do you really want Li to cosplay your hero?"

Hei spit out his noodles all over Saitou again. Saitou sighed and used a napkin to wipe away the food.

"Ah," Ootsuka blushed, and looked toward the table embarrassed. "Hai. The writer of Rose of Morris read my fan-fiction. He really liked my story and would like me to come to an exclusive cosplay party. I'm allowed to bring a guest. I've been looking for someone who I thought would be the perfect candidate for my hero."

Hei looked at her dumbfounded.

"When is the party?" Kouno asked. "I'll dress up as your hero."

Everybody laughed at him.

"It's two weeks from today," replied Ootsuka.

"I'm sorry," Hei replied. "I'll be out of town."

Ootsuka looked at him upset, as Misaki stared at him puzzled.

"That's alright," she sighed, and then looked at Kouno who seemed to be happy about Hei's answer. "All right, Kouno. You're a little short, and we'll have to dye your hair black, but you can come."

"All right!" yelled Kouno while throwing his fist in the air.

Everybody started laughing.

"Li," Misaki began to ask. "Where are you planning to go?"

"Well, I," began Hei, as he thought up an answer. "One of my classes is having a field trip that week to Kyoto."

"Really?" replied Misaki.

Hei knew that she knew he was lying. She figured he was saying that so he could get out of cosplaying, but that wasn't the case.

An hour later, everyone finished eating. Kanami paid for Misaki's and Li's lunch, as Saitou paid for Ootsuka's. Kouno muttered displeasingly that he didn't grab Ootsuka's check fast enough from Saitou.

They started to head out of the restaurant, but stopped as they heard commotion from another table.

"HOT, HOTHOTHOTHOT," a man screamed, running around a table, as if he was playing duck, duck goose. He grabbed everybody's drinks and downed them, but it didn't seem to quench his thirst. They watched as he ran into the kitchen.

"Oi, what are you doing back here?" asked a chef. "OI, DON'T DRINK THAT!!"

"AAAAHHHH!! HHHOOOOTTTT!!"

The man burst out of the kitchen, knocked over a waitress, and stormed into the restroom. Faucets were heard being turned on, as the man awed.

"I told that moron not to drink that," said the chef in the back. "That was used oil that was still hot."

Suddenly a pudgy man came up to Ootsuka and kissed her on the lips. Kouno clenched his fist to knock the man's teeth out, but he held himself up as Ootsuka's anger rose while she balled her fist and uppercut the pudgy man. Blood spewed out from his mouth and rose into the air to drop onto his back, as a few teeth flew across the restaurant to land into someone's miso soup.

Misaki looked at him shocked. The pudgy man stood while wiping at his mouth, and then shook in fright as he noticed her. He tried to run for it, but Misaki was quicker and caught him.

"You're under arrest," she stated, and cuffed him. "You have the right…"

Misaki continued to read him his rights, as the man started to highlight in blue, but he stopped as his eyes fell onto Hei.

"It's you!" he screamed. "I'm still going to kill you!"

Misaki wished she had a serum to knock out him. He highlighted in blue again, causing Misaki to say, "Screw it," and hit the pudgy man on the back of the neck, knocking him out.

Everybody looked at Hei flabbergasted.

"What was that all about?" question Saitou.

"This is SF-542," said Misaki.

"The Contractor who spiced up my food at the festival?"

"Hai," replied Misaki.

"Why would he want to kill Li-kun?" Saitou questioned.

"Well, um, I don't…" began Misaki.

"We competed for a job," blurted in Hei, "and the creep spiced up my food. I ended up switching out our pots. He's been mad at me ever since. He wouldn't have gotten the job anyway, he's a terrible cook."

Everybody blinked at him dumbfounded.

"You're the other chef from the incident at Ikebukuro," said Saitou amazed. "I heard you easily knocked the guy out. How?"

Hei looked at him baffled that the Foreign Affairs would be called over for some stupid case. He didn't know how to answer Saitou, as he put his hand behind his head laughing off Saitou's statement.

"I guess it would have been easy since Ootsuka was able to punch him," stated Saitou.

Ootsuka punched Saitou, knocking him onto their table. Hei looked at them flabbergasted, and then helped up Saitou.

Kouno walked over to Misaki, and said, "I'll take him into the station for you, Captain."

"Ah, arigatou, Kouno," she smiled.

They exited the restaurant with Kouno dragging out the pudgy man. Kouno, Saitou and Ootsuka returned to the station, and Kanami headed back to the lab.

--

Misaki and Hei walked down a street with Hei holding her in his arm. They entered a nearby park, as other couples either walked by holding hands, or were sitting on a park bench kissing. Other people smiled at Misaki and Hei while they passed by. Misaki told Hei that Kanami had told her that Ootsuka didn't know he was BK-201. She really did want him to cosplay for her. Hei felt a huge weight lift off his shoulder until Misaki asked him how she knew him. He told her the story.

After the discussion, they walked in silence.

"You're working at Ramen and More?" Misaki asked Hei to break it.

"Hai," he said.

"You're the chef named Hizumi, aren't you?"

"Hai," he said, puzzled that she knew his convenient name.

Misaki sat on a bench near a pond, as he settled next to her to wrap his arm around her.

"I went there to eat while I was looking for you," she said. "The food was so good I thought it was your cooking, until they told me the chef's name, and he wore glasses. I didn't think about the possibility you could pass off as Japanese."

Hei looked at her baffled.

"I'm surprised you didn't storm into the backroom and look for me," he said.

"I did, but you weren't back there."

"I'm sorry for all the heartache I caused you."

"I'm just happy you're here with me now," she said, and leaned her head against his chest.

Hei smiled as he sat his chin on her head.

"Why did you risk coming to my work earlier? What if someone from the Syndicate recognized you?" she asked.

"I had to see you," replied Hei. "Besides, from what your father told me, I'm probably safer there."

"My father?"

"Hai."

"What did he say to you?"

"He had the memories erased of all the Syndicate members who worked with the police. He asked me if I could help out with some cases for the Foreign Affairs in exchange for keeping the Syndicate off me."

"Nani?" She pulled away from him. "He blackmailed you?"

"Don't worry, Misaki. It was nothing like that, and I didn't take his offer. Besides, I think he did it more for your sake."

"My sake?"

"Hai."

"Why didn't you offer to help him then?"

"Because, I'm tired of all the fighting and killing." Misaki smiled at him. "Misaki, would you like to get away from it too?"

Misaki looked at him dumbfounded.

"Quit being a Police officer?" she questioned.

"Misaki, even though the Syndicate thinks I'm dead, that doesn't mean they won't find out I'm still alive. It may be twenty years from now, they could find out tomorrow. If that happens I will be on the run, not to mention they will know you helped me and come after you too. You're going to have to run with me."

Misaki looked at him concerned.

"In addition," Hei continued, "if your colleagues find out about me and know that you have been hiding the truth, your career would be in jeopardy too."

"I'm aware of that, Li. However, I still couldn't give up my career."

"So you're still willing to risk all that to be with me?"

"Of course I am, Li. I love you."

"Then come away with me."

"What? Now? But they don't know…"

Hei placed his fingertips over her lips as he looked at her smiling. She looked at him confused as he reached his other hand into his coat and pulled out two plane tickets. Misaki looked at them baffled.

"Just for awhile," he continued as he caressed her cheek. "How would you like to go to Okinawa and forget about all this for a month?"

Misaki stared at him disbelievingly, as if the situation was something she had seen in a movie, but then she found herself wrapping her arms around him and kissing him.

"I would… love to," she replied between kisses.

"I love you. Happy Birthday"

"I love you."

Minutes later they walked out of the park, and headed down another street holding each other.

"Li."

"Hai."

"I love you so much, but I hardly know anything about you."

"What would you like to know? You can ask me anything."

"Well, what's your favorite color?"

"You can ask anything about me and you want to know my favorite color?"

"Hai."

"Blue," he smiled.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"When's your Birthday?"

"May seventeenth."

"Is your real name really Li-Hon Wong and are you really Chinese?"

Hei stopped and looked over at her stunned she would ask that question.

"I did an investigation on your name, and I couldn't find anyone that matched your description."

Hei didn't answer her. He leaned forward and kissed her.

"What does your heart tell you?" he asked.

"That you wouldn't lie to me about that and Li really is your name."

Hei smiled and kissed her again.

"But how come I can't find out anything about you?"

"You wouldn't be able to," he replied. They continued to walk down the street. "The Syndicate completely erased any trace of my existence."

"Nani?"

"My parents became scared of my sister when she became a Contractor. They didn't know what she was at the time and had called in specialists who later turned out to be the Syndicate. They took my sister away. I, who loved her still very much, couldn't part with her and fought the Syndicate to keep them from taking her away from me. I guess they saw something in me and took me too. I had no problem going because I wanted to protect my sister.

"The Syndicate had my parent's memory erased of even having my sister and me. They completely erased us from the world, gave us new names, and trained me to become an assassin."

"How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

"Do you have any other brothers or sisters?"

"Hai, a younger brother. He was only three at the time."

"Have you ever thought about seeing your parents or brother again?"

"I have, but I can't."

Misaki looked over at him stunned.

"They wouldn't know who I am. Even if they knew they had another son, they wouldn't recognize me. I'm too old now."

"Maybe not, you might look like your dad. You should look them up."

Li stopped and looked into Misaki eyes.

"I gave up that part of my life a long time ago to protect my sister," he said while smiling. "All I'm interested in is my future with you."

He leaned forward and kissed her again.

He started walking while holding her in his arm.

"Is there anything else you would like to know about me?" he asked.

Hei hoped she wouldn't ask him anything too personal like, 'How many woman have you kissed.'

"Ah, there was something else that's been bugging me," she said a minute later.

"Nani?"

"That black cat with the red collar. Was he really your cat?"

Hei smiled at her question as he remembered the annoying cat.

"No, he was a Contractor."

"A Contractor?"

"Hai. He possessed animals' bodies. He was part of my team along with Yin and Huang."

"Now I don't feel so bad about calling Animal Control on him."

"I'm glad you did. It was very amusing. Although I think he had it rougher with my Landlady."

"This Huang guy, he wasn't by any chance that ugly, fat, tobacco smelling man that hung out in the park, was he?"

"Hai."

"You had to work with him? I feel bad for you, he smelled so bad."

"It was his attitude that I didn't like. Sometimes I felt he was more a Contractor than me."

"You act on your emotions, you dream, and you don't have a price, Li. You're human, not a Contractor."

Hei smiled and held her tighter.

They turned a corner and started walking down another street. Misaki noticed many cosplayers walking around and felt like she was at Harajuku.

"AH, NO WAY!" screamed a voice in front of them.

Hei noticed Kiko dressed in a cat outfit running up to him, along with someone dressed as the Black Reaper, but his black coat had purple lining in it instead of green.

"YOU TWO ARE DATING!!" Kiko continued to cry, "I can't believe my dream guy is into older woman."

Misaki's anger rose from the brat calling her old again. She was about to arrest her for stalking, but Hei held her back.

"The world is so cruel," said Kiko.

Suddenly her expression changed and looked starry-eyed at Hei. Hei and Misaki stared at her baffled. She gazed over her shoulder at her friend.

"Satoushi," Kiko began. "Take that coat off."

Satoshi took the black trench coat off and handed it to Kiko. Kiko smiled at Hei.

"Oh, Li-san, can you put this coat on for me?" she begged.

Hei looked at her dumbfounded.

"Ah, come on, please."

Hei was about to walk away from Kiko, but then noticed Yin heading towards them. She seemed to be dressed in some cosplay too. He had asked Yin to stay with Kiko for the day and night so he could spend it with Misaki. She looked at him as if she wanted him to put it on. He sighed, gave in and grabbed the coat. Misaki looked at him shocked as he fitted it on.

"AH!!" Kiko looked happier than she ever did. "I'm so good. It fits you perfectly. Satoushi was always too small around the chest area." Kiko grabbed Hei by the arm and started to pull him down the street. "We are so going to win the contest now. Come on Satoshi, I'm going to need those clothes."

Misaki looked at them bewildered, but then smiled and laughed as she followed.

Kiko dragged him into a convention and made him enter a restroom to put on the costume. Hei exited moments later, upset at himself for letting Kiko do this to him, but he saw how happy Yin was, and he couldn't hurt her feelings. Kiko quickly went over their skit with him that they had to perform on stage.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Of course!" she chimed.

Hours later, as Misaki waited for their performance while watching everybody else, they were the next to perform.

Yin began to walk across the stage when Satoushi jumped out of a cardboard bush in front of her.

"Hee hee, I will drain your life out of you," he said, giving a bad acting performance.

"Oh, no, anybody out there who will save me?" acted Yin, which Misaki thought was good for a Doll.

"Wait one minute, you evildoer!" shouted Kiko, as she hopped out from another cardboard bush. "Face the wrath of the masked Hero!"

Li was lowered on a wire behind Satoushi. Satoushi and Li began to play-fight each other.

"You're very talented, Hero," said Satoushi. "But I am better. Ha… ha… ha…!"

"I don't think so!" said Li, his acting slightly better than Satoushi.

Li pretended to punch Satoushi, which he jumped and landed on his bottom and said, "Ouch, that hurt."

He laid down, as he stuck out his tongue to look as if he had been knocked out. Yin ran up to Li and hugged him.

"My hero," she said.

"If you ever need help again, just call out for us!" said Kiko.

They ran off the stage as the audience clapped ecstatically.

After waiting another thirty minutes, the last contestants performed, and stepped from the stage. A man stepped onto the stage while tugging at his white collar. He started to announce the third place winner, followed by the second place winners.

"And first place goes to," he continued, "Kiko, Satoushi, Yin and Li for the Hero!"

Misaki clapped happily for them with the audience, as they stepped onto the stage to collect their winnings.

--

Misaki and Li felt hungry again, which made them decide to head over to the restaurant where they had their first date. They were surprised to see Gai there again and kept their distance away from him so they wouldn't have to pay for his meal.

After they finished, they decided to head for the batting cages again. As they were leaving the restaurant, Gai was being escorted out by a couple of officers in uniform.

"But my employee said she'd meet me here, and offered to buy me dinner with her winnings from a contest," said Gai. "If you'll just wait a while longer, I'm sure she'll be here."

"Maybe you should have waited for her to arrive before you ordered," one of the cops said, as they exited the building.

Misaki and Li giggled knowing Kiko had set up Gai. Li was about to go pay for Gai's meal so he wouldn't be arrested, but Misaki held him up.

"I'll take care of it in the morning," she said. "He never paid you back, right?"

"Eh, no, but I haven't been around for him to pay me back."

"I don't think he intends to either. Let him spend a little time in jail. The food there is free at least."

Li looked at her and smiled. They took off to the batting cages where Li held Misaki in his arms while they swung the bat. After they hit the last ball, they exited the cage to sit on the bench. They held each other in their arms and looked up at the stars reminiscing about the time they had spent together.

After an hour, Li took Misaki to his place where she spent the night.

--

A week later:

Dawn began to set over the horizon to sparkle off the ocean. The sky was cleared of clouds, as seagulls flew about or stood on Okinawa's beach. There was a slight breeze, which formed a few waves along the ocean bed. The sandy beach had been somewhat vacated with sandcastles and footprints left behind.

Misaki and Li walked along the shoreline holding each other, as the waves ran up the beach to douse their feet. Misaki was in a red bikini with a see-through cloth skirt, and Li wearing blue trunks. Her hair, hanging down, fluttered in the wind, which made her put a few strands over her ear to keep them out of her eyes.

Misaki had been embarrassed when Kanami had bought her bathing suit, but being with Li, her shyness faded away. She wanted to look beautiful and sexy for Li while they were here.

She wondered how he was able to rent a private beach house for a whole month, but she reframed from asking.

Misaki had never felt so at peace before. Nothing in the world seemed to exist except her and Li.

"I remember coming here once with my mother and father before the gates appeared." said Misaki. "It really hasn't changed much."

"Really?" replied Li.

"I remember making sandcastles with my father and playing in the water while splashing it at my mother."

"It must have been a lot of fun."

"Hai."

Li bent down and splashed water at Misaki. Misaki guarded her face from it, but she then smiled and bent down to splash Li. They continued splashing each other while smiling and giggling.

Misaki ended up tripping on her own two feet and fell onto her butt. She glanced at the orange–reddish glow over the sparkling greenish-blue water. She felt this was paradise.

"It's beautiful," Misaki smiled. "I don't want this to end."

Li kneeled on top of Misaki and laid her head down to caress her cheeks, as the waves struck against them.

"Really beautiful," he said looking into her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, Li."

They kissed and didn't stop even after the sun submerged into the ocean.

--

THE END

--

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed my story. Thanks again to Sakabatou77 for his help. Thank you to everyone who has read it. And thank you very much to the many who have favored or alerted the story. Please let me know what you thought.

I do have one more short story I'm working on. It's a Hei/Misaki story too where Misaki doesn't know Li is BK-201. My mind only seems to get creative with that setting. I'll post it as soon as I'm finished. And if you haven't read it, I do have a one shot up called, "The Lushes Kiss." Check it out if you haven't.

Thank you,

Haruko.

Hei/Misaki Forever!!


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